The Handyman
by caligirl24
Summary: Bella is a young military wife, Married to Jake. She meets the handyman, Edward, and begins to question everything she thought she knew. Lemons soon. AH, ExB AxJ EmxR
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my first ever fanfic. I've been a reader for a year now but never brave enough to try my own. Please let me know what you think and if anyone would like to be a beta I would be eternally grateful! I'm such a virgin to this! _

_Twilight not mine, unfortunately._

**The Handyman**

**Chapter 1: Cracks and Fissures**

"Dammitt," Bella cried. She hated South Florida. This was the fifth waterbug she had encountered in the past two days. The huge, flying beetles creeped her out and in a perfect world she would not be the one chasing after the prehistoric looking insects with a can of Raid. It should be Jake performing this duty. But Jake was on a boat somewhere in the Bahamian Islands "working". Bella knew she was being unfair, as a gunnersmate in the U.S. Coast Guard she knew that Jake was actually there for work but his emails often recounted tales of casinos, riding on 4 wheelers in sand dunes, and partying with this fellow coasties rather than busting drug smugglers.

As Bella disposed of the disgusting flying insect in the garbage she calmed herself with images of home. Her home. Even though Bella and Jake had been raised and married in Forks, Washington she thought of San Diego, CA as her home. She loved the rough beaches, the laid back beach towns, the temperate climate, and her friends. She and Jake had married in Forks right after high school. They had known each other all their lives and it was just assumed they would be married. Jake proposed at prom, in front of all of their friends and teachers. As soon as Bella saw Jake get down on one knee she started to feel light headed and clammy. But it was not from excitement. Bella felt she had to say yes to Jake. It was expected, it made sense, it was safe, and she didn't see how anyone else would ever propose. She was plain, slender, with long brown hair that frizzed in the Washington humidity and brown eyes that, while flickering with a great deal of intelligence, were not as captivating as bright blue or a startling green. And Jake was very handsome and good man. He turned quite a few heads with his tall and muscular build, dark russet hair, and boyish face. He took care of his wheelchair bound father and was active on the Quilte Reservation. Despite her level headed reasoning, Bella could not help but wish for something more. Later that night as she stared at her small but tasteful diamond ring she blamed her feelings on her frequent readings of romantic Victorian literature. Heathcliff and Romeo and Mr. Darcey were characters. They were not reality and she lived in reality. Bella resolved to make her marriage to Jake the most successful endeavor and as she shelved her current reading material, Jane Eyre, she resolved to push her feelings aside and move forward.

Jake enlisted in the coast guard right after graduation and a small wedding in the town chapel. After a summer spent apart where he had his basic training in North Carolina they got their orders to San Diego, California. Bella was nervous to leave her family and home behind. While Charlie, her Chief of Police father, had always been a bit taciturn and absent and her mother, Renee, was flighty and emotional, they were Bella's family and she loved them. But she was a wife now, a military wife, and part of putting aside her silly feelings was to charge ahead to San Diego without a tear or trepidation.

Bella loved San Diego. As soon as she stepped off the plane, she instantly felt calm. It was a balmy 75 degrees and her hair stayed smooth and sleek in the mild weather. They had base housing in Point Loma, a sleepy beach town right on the coast. Bella enrolled at the University of San Diego, a small private university with an excellent literature program while Jake began his coast guard career. They lived modestly but were content. Bella's days were filled with school and working at a bookstore in the mall. There she became good friends with her boss Angela. Angela was smart, independent, and loved books almost as much as Bella. They spent a lot of time together; especially as Jake was often deployed. Angela often questioned Bella if she was lonely. Angela couldn't believe how much Jake was gone; she would never have been able to deal with that. Bella hadn't really thought about it before but Angela's frequent discussions made her realize that no, she wasn't lonely when Jake was gone. She enjoyed their time together when he was home; exploring southern California, eating dinner together, and their occasional lovemaking. It was all nice but nothing that she missed when he was gone. She loved her time alone, sitting at sunset cliffs watching the sunset, walking through Balboa Park to the museums and gardens, and attending her classes and working on her thesis. She worked hard at school and was going to apply for graduate school at Columbia. She knew that after their three year tour in San Diego Jake could apply for a transfer and he said he would put in for New York so she could attend the grad school of her dreams. Bella was content. And that was good enough.

"But the best laid plans…." Needless to say Bella's contentment had not lasted. After his tour in San Diego Jake put in for a transfer to the MSST program in Miami, Florida without telling Bella. He had discussed the option with her but she knew that if he joined MSST (the swat team of the Coast Guard) he would be gone at least 300 days of the year and would most likely have to go to Iraq. His work would be very dangerous and she was concerned for him. The Coast Guard had changed Jake. He became a gun enthusiast, something Bella abhorred, became obsessed with working out and his body, and his middle level political and social views leaned further and futher to the right as the months passed. Bella knew that since they married at such an early age they were bound to both change but she always hoped that they would fundamentally stay the same person. She believed she had. However, the biggest change in Jake was his desire to have children. They had discussed children before they were married and both agreed that if they were to have children it would be after Bella was done with graduate school and well situated in a career. Bella did not want to ever have her child feel the resentment that she often felt roll off of Renee whenever she recounted her early foray into motherhood. Jake agreed that they would have plenty of time for a family when they were older. As the years passed Jake became obsessed with starting a family earlier and earlier. He wanted a little son or daughter to run and jump into his arms when he came home from a deployment, an offspring to brag about at work, and all the benefits without the hard work that Bella alone would have to endure. Jake was becoming pushy and mean, he took his testosterone filled attitude that worked so well on the base and bringing it home to Bella. Looking back, Bella saw the cracks and fissures were beginning then. The move to South Florida just spread them even further.

The sound of the door opening brought Bella back from her musings. Bella heard Alice, her temporary roommate kick off her shoes and drop her keys into the bowl in the entryway. Bella was glad Alice was back from her yoga class, she needed some company to drag her out of her melancholy. Alice was living with Bella for the next three months while her husband, Jasper, was deployed to South Carolina for training of new MSST team members. The head trainer had to have an emergency surgery so Jasper got the job.

_Bella had met Jasper and Alice one month ago at a welcome party for the new MSST members. Bella was sitting on one of the park tables trying to ignore Jake while he schmoozed with his new captain and consumed his seventh beer of the afternoon. She would be driving after all. As she contemplated an excuse to leave early she felt someone sit down next to her and dreaded a likely inane conversation with another coast guard wife about diapers, candle parties, and how awesome their coast guard husbands were. Instead she was greeted with silence. She turned her head to see who had sat next to her and was greeted by a gorgeous petite woman. She had dark hair cut into an A-line bob with big dark eyes and sharp cheekbones._

"_Hi, I'm Alice," the petite woman greeted softly._

"_I'm Bella, nice to meet you."_

"_I hate these things, don't you? I wouldn't be here if my husband wasn't a part of the training staff. That's him over there, Jasper," Alice said as she pointed to a tall blond man over by the barbeque. He reminded Bella of the surfers that populated Ocean Beach in San Diego; lean, tan, and always looked like they were up to something. "Which one are you the designated driver for?" she asked with a smirk._

"_The one standing next to the captain holding his seventh Miller Lite," Bella replied with her matching smirk._

"_Ah. So where are you from Bella?"_

"_San Diego. Well Forks, Washington really but I call San Diego home. That's where we were stationed before moving…..here."_

"_You sound so excited about it," Alice grinned._

"_Well it's….I didn't want to….It's complicated," Bella mumbled._

"_I understand," Alice said, "I wasn't too excited when Jasper got transferred to Miami and I almost hit the roof when I found out it was for the MSST program. Luckily he is on the training staff so he doesn't deploy much and has pretty normal hours, but still…Miami….yuck" Alice laughed softly._

"_Yeah I'm still not used to it," Bella said. "Where were you and Jasper before Miami?" _

"_Oh well I'm from Mississippi and Jasper is from Texas. I went to Texas for college and met Jasper there when he was stationed at Corpus Christie. It was lust at first sight, and love the next day," Alice smirked._

_As Bella and Alice chatted about the hassles of moving, their shared hatred of Miami weather, and their equal distaste for the Coast Guard deployments Bella started to feel something she hadn't felt in a long time….excitement. Bella was typically a bit of a loner and besides Angela and a few acquaintances she didn't have much in the way of girlfriends. While she didn't seem to have a lot of common with the vibrant Alice she felt a sense of kinship and honesty that she hadn't experienced before. _

"_Well looks like Jasper can finally get out of here, would you like to exchange numbers? Maybe we could hang out sometime, get pedicures or coffee or something?" Alice questioned. She seemed as eager for a friend as Bella. But Bella was a bit hesitant, she was heartbroken when she had to move from San Diego and leave Angela and her other friends behind. Perhaps it was safer to stay more removed and keep herself from getting hurt when she had to move again. And she would have to move again. She was a military wife._

"_Sure," Bella said, "That would be great." And she meant it._

"Ewwww, it smells like Raid," Alice whined," another water bug?"

"What else," Bella grumbled. "I am so sick of the humidity, bugs, lizards, and well everything. And get this, the kitchen sink is leaking so I had to call Carlisle to come out and fix it. There is a huge puddle in the cupboard under the sink so we'll probably catch something from mold and die too!"

"Melodramatic much? What's the big deal, you're just renting, Carlisle will get it fixed, probably get you a brand new sink in the process and we get to watch the hot doctor bent over in our kitchen getting all sweaty and ……" Alice trailed off.

This was one of the reasons Bella loved having Alice living with her. She didn't put up with Bella's dramatics and always managed to point out the bright side of any situation. When Alice found out that Jasper had to go to North Carolina for three months she was furious. The lease on their apartment was almost up and she hadn't wanted to rent or buy a place without Jasper around. Jake was going to be gone for three months at the same time so Bella suggested Alice move in with her to keep her company and then when Jasper got back they could find a place together. Alice was so grateful but the truth was Bella relished the idea of living with her best friend and hoped it would make Miami more palatable. Jake and Jasper both liked the idea of them living together and felt it would be safer. Jasper was really fond of Bella and thought she was a great friend to Alice. Bella and Jasper bonded over their love of the ocean and indie rock but Bella always got the sense that Jasper didn't care for Jake. Alice always insisted that he had to maintain a distance because he was on the training staff but Bella didn't quite believe it. When Jake started drinking heavily or got particularly mouthy and possessive with Bella she saw Jasper's usually relaxed countenance tighten up.

As Alice was in the middle of summarizing Jasper's latest love email to her, Bella's cell phone started ringing with her tone for Carlisle, her landlord, "Hot Stuff." Alice started laughing at her and almost fell off the couch but Bella just ignored her and answered the call.

"Hi Carlisle, how are you?" Bella politely asked.

"I'm good sweetheart how are you? Minus the leaky sink of course. What kind of place are you renting, your landlord must be a real scumbag," he teased.

Bella really lucked out finding Carlisle and Esme as landlords. After the initial shock and anger had worn off regarding their move to Miami Bella threw herself into planning their move. She found a neighborhood that had all the amenities she needed, was close to the beach, and had great rental properties. Carlisle and Esme owned the 2 story, 3-bedroom townhouse that was situated on the intercoastal and when they found out her husband was in the military they gave her a reduced rent price and waived the security deposit. Ever since they moved Carlisle and Esme had acted more like parents then landlords. Esme often came by to work on the front lawn (since Bella managed to kill any plants in her vicinity) and talk about books over iced mochas and Carlisle was constantly upgrading the townhome for her.

"Yeah he is but his wife is a real hottie so I don't mind," Bella teased back.

"Yeah, Yeah, must be one lucky son of a bitch. So how about I come over tomorrow morning to fix it after the gym? If you have plans I can just let myself in and get it taken care of for you?"

"Sure, that's great. I don't have any plans so I'll probably be here. Alice has a meeting with a client that morning but I'll be here all day. Just come whenever," Bella said.

"Sounds good. Also, my son Edward might be with me. He just moved down from Chicago and starts work next week. We're spending some quality time together," he chuckled.

"Ah, so in other words you're going to have him do all the heavy lifting?" Bella laughed.

"Pretty much. Okay well see you tomorrow Bella. Tell Alice I said Hello from Dr. McHottie," Carlisle laughed as he hung up.

"Dr. McHottie says 'Hi'," Bella laughed at Alice.

"Oh God, I can't believe he heard me say that when he and Esme were over last week. I'm mortified." Alice groaned.

"No you aren't, you slut," Bella laughed. "You weren't exactly discreet about it!"

"I know but Esme got a kick out of it and well, he is a hottie! And a heart surgeon at Mt. Siani to boot!"

"You better zip it or I'll email Jasper that you're looking around while he's up in the boonies yelling at new recruits." Bella laughed as she trudged up the stairs.

"Bitch!" Alice replied.

Bella just laughed and grabbed the newest Martin Amis novel and headed to take a bath. As she filled up the tub with hot water she wondered briefly what Carlisle's son would be like.


	2. Chapter 2

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_A/N I hope someone is reading. Here's a Edward's POV. A little short but I will be posting again soon with both POVS and more of Edward's backstory as well as Bella's reaction to Edward. Might get some Emmett and Rosalie in too if it works out. Thanks if anyone is reading, I hope you like this drivel ;)_

**Chapter 2: **

**EPOV: Deflation**

"135, 136, 137, 138…" Edward counted out loud as his dad did crunches on the gym mat. It felt good to be home in Miami, working out with his dad, and away from the cold Chicago weather and Tanya. He had missed Miami, his parents, and even his brother Emmett. If he was forced to he would admit that he even missed his sister-in-law Rosalie. He hoped that he wouldn't get too much of a good thing now that he was starting his residency at Mt. Siani. Working at the same hospital as his dad wasn't part of his plan, but well, "the best laid plans…" as they say.

"150," Carlisle grunted, "where'd you go, I had to finish counting myself!"

"Sorry, dad, just thinking. So hey do you want to head to Bokampers after this. Ruin our workout with some beer and wings?"

"Sure but we need to swing by the intercoastal house first. My tenant has a leaky sink and I promised to repair it today," Carlisle replied as he stood up from the mat and grabbed his water bottle.

"Ah, so our father-son workout was really an excuse to get me to do all the work at your tenant's place?" Edward surmised.

"Well, you know that I was never that great with plumbing, besides it shouldn't take too long."

"Alright, let's hurry though so we can catch the afternoon Mariners game at the bar."

Edward looked at the townhouse with indifference as he and Carlisle pulled up. It was a cute little house, red roof, a small fountain in the front yard and a garden that showed his mom, Esme's, handiwork.

"So this is the new tenant right? Been here, what? 2-3 months?" Edward asked as he and Carlisle clambered out of the Range Rover.

"Yeah, her name is Bella. Young, really smart and friendly and well, hell, if I wasn't married to the most beautiful woman in the world already I'd hit that."

"God Dammit dad, I don't need to hear that shit," Edward complained.

Carlisle just laughed and grabbed the tool box out of the back of the Range Rover.

"Quit bitching, anyway it's pointless. She's married." Carlisle said.

"Well why isn't her husband fixing the sink for her?" Edward asked as he took off his sweaty t-shirt and replaced it with a clean white Hanes t-shirt.

"Her husband is in the Coast Guard and is deployed somewhere in the Islands right now. She lives here with another Coast Guard wife right now until both of their husbands get back. Sweet girls, great tenants."

"Alright I'm ready. Let's hurry," Edward muttered. He wasn't looking forward to fixing this military wife's plumbing. Edward hadn't spent a lot of time with members of the military or their spouses but his parents had rented some of their many properties to the families in the past and whenever Edward met them the wives were typically lonely, unattractive, and all over Edward. Since leaving Tanya in Chicago Edward wasn't opposed to getting laid but he wasn't desperate either. Although, according to his brother Emmett, Edward needed to get laid and by as many women as possible to get over the "bitch of an ex-girlfriend."

Edward joined his dad as he knocked at the door and waited for the tenant to answer. The door was swung open by a cute, petite girl. Her dark hair framed her face in a short cut and her very toned body was highlighted by the tight yoga pants and tight tank top. Edward agreed with his dad that she was hot, but not really his type.

"Well hello Alice, Dr. McHottie at your service," Carlisle drawled holding the toolbox under his arm.

_Huh? Not the tenant then. Must be the roommate. And what the fuck did his dad just call himself?_

"Good morning Carlisle," Alice purred. "I hope you're here to check out my pipes."

Carlisle laughed and followed as Alice turned and waltzed into the kitchen area. Edward groaned.

"You know it," Carlisle flirted back.

"Dad, seriously?" Edward grimaced as he rolled his eyes at his dad.

"Alice, this is my son Edward. He just moved back from Chicago," Carlisle said as he ignored Edward.

"Hi Edward. It's nice to meet you. I take it you'll be doing the work while your dad supervises?" Alice smirked.

"Very funny Alice, alright let's see what's going on," Carlisle groaned back.

"Bella said it's been leaking and there is a puddle under the cupboard here. The boards look warped too," Alice illustrated as she opened the cupboard boards and displayed the problem. "I have to head out, I have a client but Bella is just getting out of the shower and she'll be right down. Bye Edward, it was nice to meet you," Alice said.

"Nice to meet you too," Edward automatically replied.

"Bye Alice, have fun getting all hot and sweaty," Carlisle called as she headed out of the kitchen. Her only reply was a laugh that seemed much too loud for her petite frame.

"Dad, come on!" Edward yelled.

"What, she's a personal trainer!"

"Whatever, can we hurry up please?"

Edward and Carlisle got to work clearing out the wet boards and taking apart the pipes under the sink.

"Shit this looks like it turned into quite a mess, we need to replace the boards and this pipe is definitely cracked. We'll have to get a new one from Home Depot." Edward surmised.

"Alright I'll go," Carlisle said.

"Are you kidding? If you go you'll come back with an air conditioning hose instead of a sink pipe. I'll go, be back in 15 tops."

As Edward turned around from the sink he came face to face with the most supernaturally beautiful woman he had ever seen. Deep chocolate eyes started at him as he perused the brunette beauty. Her long thick hair framed a heart-shaped face with full pink lips. She wasn't as short as Alice but was still on the petite side with perfectly placed curves. She was wearing a plain loose grey t-shirt and dark jeans. She wasn't wearing any jewelry or make-up and she smelled heavenly; a mix of strawberry and freesia.

_What the fuck? Since when did he notice how a girl smelled unless he was in between her legs?_

As Edward stood there he noticed that the gorgeous girl's mouth was moving

"……you must be Carlisle's son? How are you?

"Oh hi, yeah um I'm him. I mean I'm Edward, his son. Right"

She quirked an eyebrow at him and then he noticed Carlisle stand up next to him with an amused look on his face.

"Hey Bella, this sink looks like it is going to be a bigger job than I thought. Edward is going to have to head out and get a pipe to replace it and we need to switch out all the boards under here. Might be awhile"

"That's okay," Bella said. "I really don't have any plans today except grading some papers."

"Oh you teach?" Edward asked as he jerked out of his stupor.

"Yeah," Bella replied uninterestedly. "High school English in Point Loma."

"Oh that's where I went to High School!" Edward cringed as he shouted it out.

_God, you look like the biggest douchebag right now, _he thought.

"Cool, well I'm gonna head out to the water and grade some papers. I made some fresh lemonade; it's in the fridge so help yourselves. Let me know if you need anything, Carlisle"

"Thanks Bella, I will. Oh Esme said she might stop by later, she bought some tulips she wanted to plant," Carlisle replied.

"Great, well it was nice to meet you Edward," Bella said and then turned and headed out the back sliding glass door towards the patio over the water.

"So….still want to be the one who leaves and gets the pipe?" Carlisle smirked.

"Yes," Edward muttered. "Give me some cash, old man"

Carlisle handed him a fifty and laughed, "Guess I don't have to tell you to hurry," he said as he turned towards the fridge. "I'll save some lemonade for you, maybe."

Edward took one look out the window and saw Bella sitting on the patio chair, her long hair now up in a high ponytail with a pen in her mouth as she leaned over some papers. His dick twitched sharply as she put the pen further in her mouth and then brought it back out slowly.

_God, he hadn't had this kind of a reaction to a woman since…well he couldn't remember even feeling this overwhelmed about Tanya. _

He couldn't decide if this was the best thing or the worst thing. And then as he walked out the front door towards the Range Rover he remembered the one fact that made his dick deflate;

_She's married. _


	3. Chapter 3

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_A/N Thanks for the reviews so far, I hope you guys like the story. The pace will pick up, I have about 4 more chapters written already and I'll post another tomorrow and then it might slow down to once a week as I get to the meat of the story. It's not all baseball and beer unfortunately. Please Review! I need all the help, encouragement I can get. _

**Chapter 3: Baseball and Beer**

**BPOV**

"_Romeo and Juliet's strong love for one another caused them heartache in their lives. And because of this strong love, they both felt as though they needed each other to be whole or to continue living." _

Bella had read the same sentence at least six times but she was not really paying attention to the essay in front of her. She was supposed to be grading her junior class' final essays on _Romeo and Juliet_ but all she could think about was the gorgeous handyman inside her home right now. The gorgeous handyman that was her landlord's son. The landlord that was renting a home to her and her_ husband_.

Bella gave up on the idea of soul mates and hearts and flowers a long time ago; a lifetime ago. However, when she stepped into the kitchen and saw a mop of bronze hair, artfully disheveled, next to Carlisle's dignified blond head she felt a tightening in her gut that she didn't quite understand. But as soon as the bronze hair turned around and gave way to the most beautiful man she had ever seen she understood why her body had reacted before she had. He was tall, lean, with a strong jaw, and captivating green eyes. His facial hair was just hitting 5 o'clock and even with his casual white t-shirt and work-out shorts he looked, well, perfect.

After an awkward introduction, Bella quickly excused herself to the patio set on the water to grade papers and get over her ridiculous lust fueled infatuation with the gorgeous man inside. After finally grading the essay in front of her Bella looked back towards the sliding glass door and saw Alice walk towards the kitchen.

_I should be safe with Alice acting as a buffer_, she thought.

Bella tightened up her ponytail, gathered up her papers and headed in to face….well…..she wasn't sure. As she slid open the door she chanted _Jake, Jake, Jake _in her head.

**EPOV**

Edward had walked through the home improvement warehouse in a daze. He had his fair share of transgressions but had always considered himself a moral and upstanding guy. Sure he partied and slept around during college when he and Tanya were on a break but once he hit med school he focused on his goal and his relationship to Tanya. Regardless of the number of women who hit on him on a daily basis he had never contemplated cheating on Tanya and he often silently judged those who did cheat on their significant others. _If you're unhappy, then leave_, he always thought.

Yet here he was, in the aisle housing pipes, draino, and plungers lusting after his dad's married tenant. _She wasn't wearing a wedding ring,_ he thought…._She just got out of the shower, maybe hadn't put it back on yet_….he argued back. _But she didn't seem happy at all_……He finished. And that was the kicker for Edward, the gorgeous woman he met seemed completely unhappy. Not in a dramatic, woe is me, kind of way but in a quiet, resigned, has given up kind of way. And for reasons he couldn't yet comprehend, he wanted to see her happy.

Edward and Carlisle were just tightening the pipe under the sink when he heard Alice walk into the kitchen and smack some part of Carlisle's body.

_God I hoped she smacked his big head instead of his ass,_ Edward thought.

But as he turned around and spied Alice's mock innocent expression and Carlisle's grin he knew he had not been so lucky.

"So, you boys all done in here?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, took longer than we thought but as soon as we test it we're good to go." Carlisle replied.

"Great!" Edward heard Bella's soft voice as she joined them in the kitchen. "Thanks again Carlisle. And Edward." She added.

"No problem, you know if you need anything just to give Esme or myself a call. And Edward too," Carlisle added as he walked towards the bathroom to wash his hands.

Alice, Edward, and Bella were left in the kitchen standing uncomfortably. Well, Edward felt uncomfortable and Bella seemed to be looking anywhere but at him. Alice, on the other hand, hopped up on the counter and was grinning at both of them like some cracked out Chesire cat.

"So, I'm having a barberque at my house tomorrow afternoon. You guys should come, you know watch the game, drink some beers, just hang out." Edward blurted out.

"ummmm" Bella fidgeted.

"That'd be great." Alice interrupted. "What can we bring?"

"Ummm just what you like to drink. We'll have the rest covered. 3:00PM sound good?" Edward said in relief.

"Where do you live?" Alice quickly asked. "Actually just write down your number and I'll have Bella call you tomorrow so we can get your address."

"Alice," Bella quietly hissed at her roommate.

But Edward was already writing down his phone number on a post-it pad left on the counter. He stuck it on the fridge and after testing the sink headed out the door waving good-bye and yelling out a quick "Talk to you tomorrow!" He didn't know where he had summoned up the confidence to extend the invite or force his number on Bella but he wanted to leave before he lost whatever bravado he had mustered. _It's just a friendly barbeque, _he thought as he loaded up the tools into the Range Rover and ignored Carlisle's grin.

**BPOV**

"What the hell was that?" Bella seethed as soon as she heard the front door click shut.

"What are you going on about now?" Alice calmly replied as she opened up the fridge to get a water bottle.

"Saying yes to the barbeque and telling him to give me his number! AND SAYING I WOULD CALL HIM!" Bella finished with a shout.

"Again, what are you going on about? He was kind enough to invite us to a barbeque. Beer, barbeque, and sports, what could be better…"

"You don't drink beer, are a vegetarian, and don't know baseball from curling." Bella interrupted.

"Whatever. It's always great to meet new people, we hardly know anyone down here besides the coast guard wives and well yeah I'd rather not know them." Alice primly responded.

"What about Jake and Jasper?"

"What about them? Jasper trusts me and it's not like we are going to an orgy, it's a damn barbeque. There's nothing wrong with making new friends, Bella, even if they are incredibly hot." She smirked.

"I just don't think Jake will like this." Bella mumbled.

"Bella, you have no friends besides me. And what's going to happen when Jasper comes back in two months? You always say you feel like the third wheel with us and I'll be busy moving into a new place. You know that as soon as Jake gets back he'll be deploying after two weeks and I don't want to see you depressed anymore." Alice said as she motioned for Bella to hop back up on the counter with her.

"I'm not depressed." Bella replied.

"Okay, you're right. You aren't depressed you just seem….well….you seem empty. I mean I know we have fun but you never seem really present. You know?"

"And how is going to a barbeque at a complete stranger's house going to make me 'present'?" Bella replied with air quotes and a sarcastic head tilt.

"A) he is not a complete stranger and B) you'll meet new people and get out of the rut you're in. All you do is go to work, run, cook dinner for us, and occasionally humor me with trips to the outlets and a night at the martini bar. You live like your 42 instead of 22!" Alice argued.

"I still don't think Jake is going to like this." Bella replied.

"Bella, Jake does not control you. Yes, you should include that we were invited and planning to go in your email tonight. He is your husband and deserves your honesty and respect but he does not control your life. There is nothing shady about going to a barbeque with multiple people. Besides I'm coming too." Alice stated. "Unless you'd like to do other things with Dr. McHottie Jr. besides drink beer and watch sports I don't see what the problem is." Alice smirked.

"Whatever Alice, but I'm doing this for you. You're more than enough friend for me." Bella said as she hopped off the counter and headed upstairs.

Alice just grinned and went to find her cell phone to call Jazz. She saw the tension and attraction between Bella and Edward the instant they were both in the same room but knew she shouldn't push it too much. She knew Jake and Bella were bad for each other. Jake was overbearing, possessive, and completely dismissive of Bella thoughts and feelings. Bella just let Jake do whatever he wanted and gave up all of her dreams to placate to him out of some sense of obligation. But she knew that goading Bella into an inappropriate relationship with Edward would not help Bella. Bella needed to see for herself that if she found the right person she wouldn't have to work at being happy, she just would be.

**EPOV**

Edward turned up his radio as he drove away from the hospital. He had to drive down early to fill out some paperwork for human resources and now he was headed to the gym to meet Emmett. He tried to ignore his cell phone that was resting on his thigh and tried even harder to will Bella to call, text, send a carrier pigeon. Something. But she hadn't seemed too interested in his invitation yesterday. _Of course not, she's married and should not be accepting invitations from complete strangers,_ he thought. But he really hoped she would just the same.

Edward almost jerked his car into the median as his cell phone started vibrating. But as he gained control of his car and looked at the screen he saw it was just his brother, Emmett.

"Hi Emmett," Edward answered unenthusiastically.

"Well hi, thanks for the warm greeting." Emmett responded.

"Whatever, I'm about 10 minutes away. I'll meet you in the parking lot?"

"Sure sounds good. Oh hey Rose says to tell you she's making a couple of pitchers of margaritas for this afternoon but you still need to pick up ice, beer, and don't forget the wings. Yeah I think that's it."

"Not the first time I've had people over to my house before, Emmett, and you just remember to tell your lovely fiancée that I have two new friends coming over tonight so try and keep her bitchiness to a minimum." Edward retorted.

"Hey, Rosalie is her own woman. And who are the chicks coming over again?"

"One of Dad's tenants and her roommate."

"Oh I see. So which one are you after?" Emmett asked.

"I'm not after any of them, they're just friends. They're both married. Their husbands are in the Coast Guard and deployed right now. It's just a friendly invite. To friends. That's all." Edward said.

"Say 'friend' one more time and I'll believe you." Emmett replied.

"Fuck off, I'll be pulling into the parking lot in a minute."

"Quit being a bitch," Emmett laughed as Edward hung up.

Edward didn't know why he was being so defensive. Alice was cute but he had absolutely no interest, married or not. And yeah, Bella was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he felt some inexplicable pull towards her while they were in the house, but she was married and he respected that. Maybe he should start dating again. But starting a relationship at the beginning of residency was not the best idea. Whatever, he was devoting way too much thought to a non-issue.

Edward pulled his Volvo up next to Emmett's lifted 4x4 Jeep. He locked up his cell phone and wallet in the glove box and grabbed his ipod and headphones. Edward knew that starting Monday he would need to carry his phone and sometimes a pager with him at all times for work but he was going to utilize his free time while he had it and not bring his cell phone everywhere he went. Regardless of who was supposed to call.

Edward and Emmett ambled out to their cars after an intense workout. Edward held his own but Emmett was pure muscle and always pushed Edward with more reps and just one more mile.

"Alright bro, we'll be over before 3 to start up the grill. Don't forget…."

"Yeah I know, ice, beer and wings. I got it. See you later." Edward muttered. He loved being home again but he had forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by family 24/7.

As Edward pulled out his cell phone and wallet he noticed that he had a new voicemail from a missed call 10 minutes ago.

_Probably mom, _he thought_, or Seth wanting to know what to bring._

But Edward didn't recognize the 619 area code and played the message:

"_Hi Edward, umm it's Bella. From yesterday. Your dad's tenant. Anyway I was just calling to see if you were still having the barbeque and how to get to your house. So ummm call me back if you want. 619-244-7884. Okay well bye."_

Huh? She sounded kind of nervous. And hot. Edward wanted to call her right back but still felt a bit out of breath and didn't want to sound like a fat ass or a pervert on the phone so he decided to wait until he had caught his breath, showered, and figured out exactly how to talk to Bella without sounding like a complete idiot.

Edward was clean and rested, sitting on his couch, turning his cell phone over and over in his hands. It had been an hour and a half since Bella had called and he still didn't know what to say. Fuck. She was just asking for the address, she was just a friend, this was not a big deal.

Before he could work himself up into a complete stress meltdown Edward dialed Bella's number and waited through two rings before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella? It's Edward."

"Oh hi. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks. So would you and Alice still like to come this afternoon?"

"Sure. So where do you live?"

Edward gave her his address and directions to his house. He assumed it would be easy to find since he only lived about 5 miles away. Bella seemed a lot more relaxed during the conversation and she even joked with him that she had to rein Alice in from bringing seven different types of dips and four different kinds of beer. Edward hung up feeling less stressed but infinitely more excited about spending time with his new friend.

Edward was flopped on the couch watching the pre-game bullshit when Rosalie waltzed in the door followed by Emmett carrying three pitchers of margaritas and four bags of chips.

"Hey loser, why aren't you getting the house ready for your guests?" Rosalie said.

Edward ignored his soon to be sister-in-law and got up from the couch to help Emmett in the kitchen. He had a love-hate relationship with Rosalie. She and Emmett had been together since high school and Emmett had just proposed six months ago. Rosalie was a knock out but she often excused her judgmental and rude attitude with her reasoning that she was just honest and upfront. _Yeah an upfront bitch_. But she was good to Emmett and one of the most loyal people he had ever met.

As Emmett and Edward pulled out the alcohol and started cooking the wings Rosalie played hostess and grabbed last minute supplies from their condo next door. Edward had second thoughts about moving in next door to his brother and his fiancée but it was a great condo, close to the hospital, and a smart investment. Plus, he really had missed Emmett.

The kitchen and living room were pretty full with some of their friends from high school, a couple of other residents from the hospital that Edward had met at his interview, and some of Rosalie's friends from work. Edward was having a good time but couldn't help but check his phone until finally the name "Bella" popped up on the screen.

"Hey you here?"

"I think so, we're in a parking lot right next to a lake?"

"Yeah I'll come out and meet you." Edward said. He motioned to Emmett that he'd be right back and weaved his way through his guests to head out to Bella. He saw her as soon as he stepped out the door, she was wearing tiny khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt with the San Diego Padres logo on it. Her legs looked miles long and her hair was loose and hanging down her back. His dick instantly waved hello as he watched her and Alice walk over to him and he willed himself to calm down. This was going to be a long night.

_A/N Thanks for reading, seriously I really appreciate it. _


	4. Chapter 4

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_A/N I guess the page breaks I put in aren't coming through on ff so I'm going to try something else. Sorry for any confusion. And the first time I posted ch 2 I mistakenly said that Rosalie was Emmett's wife but they aren't married yet. I went back and fixed it but sorry for any confusion again. Thanks for reading my first attempt!_

**Chapter 4: Bright Colors**

**BPOV**

Bella had a heady mixture of excitement as she and Alice followed Edward into his condo.

After she had finished watching a movie with Alice last night she started her daily email to Jake. He couldn't call her but he had email access and she emailed him every night regardless of how infrequently he replied. She filled him in on her activities, asked how he was, and talked about her desire to get a dog (a request he always ignored). She added as a postscript that Carlisle's son had come with him to fix the sink and invited her and Alice to a family barbeque the next day. She wasn't sure what had made her add the word "family" but she knew Jake would be upset and regardless of what Alice said, Bella was not willing to have a fight over a guy inviting her for a friendly barbeque. First 'family' and then 'friendly'. Bella wondered how many different adjectives she could come up with for this simple barbeque.

Bella then called Angela and without running through the usual pleasantries, confessed that she found Carlisle's son incredibly hot and felt it was a bit inappropriate to go to the party the next day. Angela was surprised as she had never heard Bella go off about a guy like this before and noticed that Bella seemed excited and happy talking about this Edward and she had never heard her sound like that about Jake. However, Angela kept her observations to herself and backed up Alice telling Bella that there was nothing wrong with finding someone attractive and as long as she was upfront with Jake about the barbeque it would be good to meet new people and make friends.

"What does he do anyway?" Angela asked.

"Oh well when Esme stopped by later to bring more flowers she said that he's starting at Mt. Siani with his dad on Monday. He's an internal medicine specialist or something like that." Bella replied.

"What! He's a young, single, hot doctor who also knows how to fix your leaky pipes?" Angela screeched.

"Ummmm I guess yeah. Not how I would describe it but sure why not?" Bella mused.

"Damn! Well I will be coming to visit a lot sooner. See if you can scope out some other single hot doctors for me while you're at this party k?" Angela requested.

"Sure, Ang. Whatever you say. I'm gonna go to bed I'll call you after school on Monday and fill you in. Love you"

"Love you too, Bells. And hey, have fun and keep an open mind." Angela closed.

As Bella climbed into bed she checked her phone for any emails one last time. Surprisingly she had one from Jake. He never responded so quickly and she usually had to wait a week for an email from him and it was just a response to her previous 5 or 6 emails.

_Bells,_

_I don't know what you are trying to pull by adding that 'p.s' about some guy inviting you to a bbq. Is he a doctor like his dad? Are you looking for some sugar daddy or something? I know I'm not rolling in the money but I'm serving our country and working hard to support us. I would appreciate it if you considered that before you accepted anymore invitations. I can't forbid you to go but I want you to know that I am out here risking my life and I don't appreciate you distracting me with thoughts that my WIFE is going over to a strange guy's house. Again, I can't tell you what to do but you know my thoughts on this. I have to go, Leah has us running drills up top but we WILL talk about this soon._

_Love,_

_Your Husband Jake_

Bella was disgusted; both with herself and Jake. She knew that he would react this way but she went ahead with it anyway and Jake, well, he disgusted her a lot lately. She was one of the least materialistic people she knew and for him to accuse her of looking for a sugar daddy was just plain stupid and cruel. His "sly" manipulative tactics weren't working either. Bella did appreciate how hard he worked and was proud that he served his country but she worked hard too and gave up just as much for his career. And putting the emphasis on 'wife'? Really? Her high schoolers were more adapt in the art of passive aggressive manipulation. And then closing by telling her about Leah. That woman. Bella was not a jealous person but Leah just got under her skin. She was the only woman on the MSST team and always acted like she had to prove herself. Jake had taken her under his wing and kept the guys from giving her too hard of a time. Bella thought it was nice of Jake and genuinely tried to befriend Leah but she always acted cold towards Bella and was constantly calling Jake and asking for advice or seeing if he wanted to go to the gun range to 'practice'. Bella didn't believe Jake was cheating on her or acting inappropriately but sometimes she felt uneasy and wondered if she was too trusting.

What Jake hadn't counted on was that his reaction would only widen the cracks between him and Bella and not only would she go to the barbeque but she would go determined to make Edward a part of her life, even if it was just as a friend.

**EPOV**

Edward was pleasantly surprised how quickly Bella seemed to fit in with his family and friends. Although, Alice had her beat. As soon as they walked through the door Emmet leapt up from the couch where he was holding court and yelled, "Hey short stuff, what are you doing here?"

_Huh? Was he talking to Alice? Or Bella? He really hoped it was Alice_ although he didn't know why he was feeling so possessive towards Bella. He hardly knew her.

Apparently Alice was a personal trainer at the gym Emmett managed. Edward was glad they knew each other and hoped it would put Bella at ease. Especially since Rosalie wasn't helping. After Alice and Emmett explained how they knew each other and started gossiping about the gym members like a couple of high school girls Edward made introductions for Bella. When he got to Rosalie he couldn't help but notice her normal frostiness increase and she didn't even shake Bella's offered hand but gave a curt not. Edward shrugged it off and went back to enjoying the party.

At the end of the night Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, Alice ended up in the living room half-watching the game and half-making fun of Alice and Emmett.

"Emmett's ridiculous," Edward said, "He's been leaving me a protein shake on my doormat every morning and set an alarm on my phone for nightly runs."

"Oh you should see Alice," Bella laughed, "She practically drags me out of bed every morning to go 'cleanse' as she says. 'Cleanse' my ass! I don't consider running 7 miles before 6AM cleansing. Nor are the disgusting low-fat, high protein, salad concoction things she makes."

Edward started to laugh but Rosalie cut in, "Well I don't think you appreciate that your friend is trying to keep you healthy and get in shape. You know tone up and slim down, you could use it." Rosalie said with a bitchy smirk.

Rosalie's comment immediately stopped the laughing tone and Bella just blushed while Alice, Edward, and even Emmett looked at Rosalie incredulously.

"What?" she exclaimed, "I'm just saying we should appreciate what our friends do for us!"

"Rosalie," Edward said clenching his jaw, "Will you help me with that last pitcher in the kitchen. Now!"

Rosalie primly followed Edward into the kitchen as he heard Emmett engage Bella and Alice in a talk about the weather.

"What the fuck was that Rose?"

"Don't give me that shit, Edward. I'm onto you. And that girl is married!"

"They're both married, what are you going on about?"

"Yes, they are but I saw the way you've been looking at Bella all night and her ring is not going to magically disappear from her finger. Although it's small enough it just might," She snidely added.

Edward was about to protest to Rosalie how wrong she was about him and Bella, defending himself with his belief system and track record but then he stopped. It was none of her business. He didn't need to justify himself or his burgeoning friendship with Bella.

"Rosalie, I have no interest in Bella other than friendship," _and finding out how she sounds moaning my name _he silently added. "And even if I did I would not initiate a relationship like that. And Bell does not seem like the kind of girl that would cheat on her husband no matter how unhappy she is," he finished.

"How do you know she's unhappy?" Rosalie questioned.

"Whatever, I don't. I was just saying ok? Look you're bringing the bitchiness to a whole new level tonight so can you just tone it down please?"

"Fine Edward. I just don't want you to get hurt ok? I see her looking at you too and I don't see it ending well if you are anything more than friends. I do care about you." She finished quietly.

"I know Rosalie, but I'm a big boy and Bella is a grown woman and we can be friends and just friends. Don't make this something it isn't." Edward pleaded.

**BPOV**

Bella couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun. Edward's friends were laid back and funny and instantly made her feel welcome. Also, Emmett and Alice were constantly cracking each other up and if Bella was being honest, the fact that Alice was friendly with Edward's brother made her feel less guilty for enjoying herself. In keeping with her honesty pledge, Bella had to admit that she was enjoying herself a lot. Almost too much. And every time she met Edward's eyes from across the room she felt a pull to go towards him. It was this otherworldly electrical current that she felt vibrating through her toes and up to the roots of her hairline. She had never felt this kind of physical reaction to anyone before, but rather then be scared or apprehensive of it, she felt calmed and reassured. She managed to put Jake out of her mind and enjoy herself. She mingled, discussed music with Edward's friends, got Alice to chug a beer, and shared frequent warm smiles with Edward.

Even Rosalie's cold reception and snarky comments about her body did not deter her from enjoying herself. She knew she was in good shape and figures Rosalie just tested new people. After Rosalie and Edward returned from the kitchen everyone decided to play Scrabble. Rosalie exclaimed that she had a new board and flew out the door. Alice and Bella looked quizzically at Emmett and Edward and both wondered aloud where she went. Emmett explained that he and Rosalie lived next door. Rosalie returned with the fancy Scrabble set and they all shifted to the floor around the coffee table. Bella was sitting cross-legged next to Edward and her bare knee was touching his worn jeans. She wondered if he knew. Bella was impressed with Edward's vocabulary and quick wit, especially when it came to making fun of Emmett. She didn't play as well as she would have liked, but she had a hard time concentrating with the gorgeous man sitting next to her.

After Edward's victory everyone started stretching, packing up, and saying their goodbyes. Emmett hugged both Bella and Alice, Rosalie gave them both a polite nod but Alice leaned in for a hug and Rosalie looked shocked at first but then, surprisingly, returned it. Alice hugged Edward good-bye and thanked him for the invitation and then winked at Bella. Before Bella could discern what Alice's gesture was for she felt Edward's strong arms wrap around her upper back and squeeze lightly. It was over before she could even register what was going on and she was so distracted by his light cinnamon smell and how soft his t-shirt felt against her temple that it took her a few seconds to realize he was saying something to her.

"You'll let me know if you have any issues with your sink right?" Edward asked, apparently for the second time.

"Oh, yeah sure of course. Thanks again. And thanks for inviting us, we had a good time," Bella lamely replied.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you guys could come. Drive home safe." Edward replied and flashed Bella the most devastating good-guy smile.

Bella was once again distracted but luckily Alice pulled her out the door and towards Alice's obnoxiously yellow Porsche.

As soon as Alice and Bella were buckled in and driving out of Edward's complex Alice turned to her with a sly grin on her face.

"So….." she mused, "That was fun."

"Yeah it really was, wasn't it?" Bella asked obliviously.

"Yeah. That's crazy that Emmett is Edward's brother. Jasper is gonna get a kick out of that. He and Emmett get along great and I know he'll like Edward too. That Rosalie though, she's one tough bitch" Alice laughed.

"Yeah, I don't think she likes me." Bella quietly said.

"I don't think she liked how Edward was looking at you. Or how you were looking at him." Alice said looking at Bella out of the corner of her eye.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked. But she knew exactly what Alice was talking about she just hadn't realized that she had been so obvious.

"I'm talking about the way he was eye fucking you and how you blushed every time you came within a foot of him. It was so cute I almost puked. Although that could have been from the beer you made me chug." Alice replied.

"Okay, yeah he's cute. Hot. But I would never, never, never act on it." Bella emphatically stated. "I love Jake. I do. He's my husband."

"Bella," Alice said as they pulled into their driveway.

"Yeah?"

Alice stopped the car and turned to look at her friend. "Are you, you know, interested in Edward?"

"What? No! I mean not as anything more than a friend."

"Bella, I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I just want you to know you can talk to me. About anything." Alice said sincerely.

"I know, Alice. Thank you." Bella replied with equal sincerity as she exited the car and headed towards the house. Bella did know that she could talk to Alice but the truth was she didn't know what she would say at this point. She was attracted to Edward, physically, mentally, and she felt that she was emotionally attracted to him as well. And as many problems as she had with Jake she would never have considered cheating on him. But what she was too scared to admit to Alice was that as she sat next to Edward playing scrabble she didn't just fantasize about him taking her on the coffee table, scrabble tiles imprinting onto her back as he kissed down her neck over her taut nipples, his hands working her body into a frenzy as she grew wetter and wetter….No she also fantasized about discussing his work with him after a long day, laughing about politics and movies together, and sharing her dreams to get her PH.D in English and teach at Columbia. She could not admit to herself that this man she had just met had turned her entire viewpoint upside down and she didn't know what to do. She did know that she wanted to be happy and she finally had a glimpse at what that could be like. To be truly happy.

**EPOV**

The week passed by quickly for Edward. It was his first week at the hospital and he was swamped with cases, meeting his fellow residents and his students and interns, and avoiding his dad. Just because he worked at the same hospital as Carlisle did not mean that he wanted to spend every waking minute with him. Edward's hours were killing him and he found the one thing he was looking forward to every time his alarm clock went off at a disgustingly early hour was his communication with Bella.

The day after the barbeque she had texted him. Thanking him again for the invite and fixing the sink. Edward didn't think it was anything more than a friendly gesture but some horny voice in the back of his head told him that she was initiating the contact and that had to mean something. The rest of the week they traded texts back and forth. He told her short stories about the hospital and Emmett and she complained about her lazy students and discussed her plans for the summer. The texts were short but frequent and on Wednesday they had both stayed up until 2AM exchanging messages. Edward knew it was a little inappropriate and he was sure her husband did not know that they were texting, if he even knew about Edward at all, but he just couldn't stop. Bella was like this drug to him, an opiate that got him hooked and removed all his reasoning and moral turpitude. All he felt around Bella, besides the constant desire to see what she tasted like, was a sense of bliss, a purpose, a drive to make her happy. Despite his emotions his logic told him that the direction they were headed in was not safe. Someone was bound to get hurt but he just wanted to be with Bella, in whatever way he could. After their late texting session he decided that he would not make a move on Bella but if she did, well he knew he would not be able to resist.

It was Friday and Edward was driving home. He was off this weekend and had no plans and he couldn't be happier; until Bella texted him.

_**Hey, how was work?**_

His face lit up and he quickly texted back:

_**Long, ready for a free weekend. How about you?**_

_**Same. I could use a beer, or four.**_

Edward knew that girls often played games but didn't think Bella was the type. Rather than analyze her text message he decided to act how he would with any other friend.

_**Want to meet at Bokampers for a beer?**_

Edward decided to add an invite for Alice too in case Bella didn't feel comfortable just meeting him but before he could text out his next message she responded:

_**Hell yes! See you there in 10**_

Edward was already seated at a table on the outdoor patio. He had just a pitcher for them as he saw Bella walk through the bar. She had obviously come right from school as she was wearing a fitted dark grey pencil skirt and a whit button up blouse. Her sleeves were rolled up and the shirt fit snugly over her perfect breasts. Her legs were accentuated with tall black stilettos. She looked professional but incredibly sexy. Edward could only imagine the number of teenage boys that had fantasies about their English teacher. Bella flashed him a sweet smile as she sat down across the table.

"Thanks for thinking of this," she said, "I could definitely use a drink or two."

"Your kids giving you trouble? Throwing spit wads at you? No one brought you an apple?" Edward teased.

"Ha Ha," Bella smirked. "No, they just don't seem to care. I know it's almost the end of the school year but I just wished they put more effort into their work. And they hardly participate in class."

Edward looked at Bella. He looked past her beautiful appearance and sad brown eyes and saw a woman who was passionate but seemed utterly defeated.

"Bella, do you like your job?" Edward asked softly.

**BPOV**

Bella had her eyes cast down towards the mug of beer that had just been delivered and considered her answer. She loved literature and she liked discussing it but she didn't like trying to talk about symbolism and meaning with high school kids. They were often too caught up in their own dramas to care about 17th century literature. Bella decided against being polite and vowed to be honest with her new friend.

"No I hate it." Bella said emphatically. "I mean I love the subject matter," she continued, "but my dream was not to teach at this level and there is a lot more of counseling and administration that goes along with teaching at a high school then I would like."

"What is your dream?" Edward asked

"My dream was…" she started.

"No 'is'," Edward said, "you can still have it you know?"

Bella had never really discussed her goals with Jacob since her opportunity at graduate school had disintegrated. He always thought she was blaming him for her missed opportunity and refused to get into a conversation about it. He pushed her into the teaching job for something to fill her days and thought it was just as good as her original plan.

"Okay, my dream _is_ to get my PH.D in English Literature and eventually hold a teaching and research position at Columbia."

"Wow! That sounds amazing. I'm definitely more of a science guy but I loved the literature course I had in my undergrad. The class was always really relaxed and the professor led a discussion versus a lecture you know?"

"Yes, exactly!" Bella said. "That is what I want to do. Not hassle teenagers for outlines of essays and reminding them the difference between a metaphor and a simile."

Edward and Bella continued to discuss their interests and she found that he was incredibly well read. It was so nice to talk about books and other topics with him. Jake was very street smart but he had not interest in Bella's scholastic pursuits and she wished she had someone to discuss things she was interested in. Edward and Bella spent the next two hours talking about everything from their favorite movies and books to their families and memories from college.

As Edward was relating one story from college he mentioned Tanya.

"Who's Tanya?" Bella interrupted.

"Oh, she's my ex-girlfriend. We were together through most of college."

"Why did you break up?" Bella asked. She knew she was being nosy but they had both been so open with each other up until this point and she was dying to know what had happened. She couldn't imagine letting Edward go if she was with him.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all of it someday but the cliff notes version is that we were high school sweethearts who grew apart." Edward left out his suspicions that Tanya had cheated on him and begged him not to move to Miami. He had a suspicion that mentioning infidelity would make bolt.

"Oh yeah of course, I didn't realize how late it was. I better get home; Alice is making Puerto Rican food tonight. Should be interesting." Bella laughed.

"Yeah I need to get home too. I'll walk you to your car."

Bella felt the pull of anticipation as Edward walked her to her car. She mused again that she had never felt this way with Jake or any other boy before him. Everything was in shades of black and white with Jake, and Edward seemed to color in her world with vibrant hues. The bright colors seemed to cloud her judgment because as Edward leaned in to hug her goodnight she brushed her lips against his. She leaned back slightly and looked at him. Shock, lust, and confusion seemed to flit across his eyes. She was embarrassed and angry at herself but the greater part of her wanted to feel his lips again. She wanted to see if they really were as soft as she thought. Edward seemed to be fighting an internal battle as well but as soon as she gave up and leaned forward again he gripped the back of Bella's head and crashed his lips to hers. They molded their lips together and Bella marveled at the way his full lips seemed to fit perfectly with hers. She felt her heart beating erratically within her chest and hoped she wasn't shaking but she couldn't feel anything but his hands; one still gripping her head and the other resting lightly on her waist. Her hands were awkwardly at her sides and she quickly moved them to his strong back, marveling at the muscular planes. Bella weaved her tongue into Edward's mouth and he enthusiastically greeted it with his own. Edward's hand was travelling from her waist to her ass when he suddenly broke apart.

"Bella, I'm so sorry." He said looking pained.

"What are you sorry for, Edward? I kissed you."

"What does this mean? I mean I don't want you to do anything you don't want to, you're married. I don't know. I'm really confused here." Edward said.

"I am too. I just feel this pull towards you. I know it sounds silly but I just can't control myself around you. I swear I have never done anything like this before." Bella said. She was afraid Edward would think she was some girl who just went around kissing anyone and had no respect for her marriage or her husband. She did, but well she just couldn't even think around Edward. She had just met this man but he made her think of soul mates and true love; ideas she had given up on completely.

"I want nothing more than to lose control around you too, Bella. But I don't want you to feel pressured into anything. I think we should both just think about this before we get carried away." Edward said.

"You're right. Why don't I call you on Monday," Bella said. "Let each other cool off over the weekend. I need to think some things through and well, I need to have a discussion with Jake." Bella cringed. _Jake_.

Edward nodded and smiled softly at Bella. She gave him a soft hug and quickly got into her car in case she let her lust and infatuation take over her temporary logical mind. As Bella pulled out of the parking lot and glanced at Edward in the rearview mirror she knew that she was in for a long night. She had to talk to Jake. Regardless of their issues Jake did not deserve to be cuckolded and she had to tell him what had happened and her feelings. He deserved happiness as much as she did and she wanted to be with Edward but she also had to make sure her feelings were genuine and not a result of loneliness or discord with Jake.

But as Bella climbed into bed that night with her lips still tingling form the memory of Edward's kisses she knew that she couldn't stay away from Edward. Her life was finally bright and she would do anything to keep it that way.

_A/N Please review! Thanks to everyone who has so far, it helps more than you know!_


	5. Chapter 5:

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_Sorry this update has taken so long, I moved and then had a family emergency so real life took priority. This is now up on as well. Thank you so much for all of the reviews, it makes me so happy and helps pick me up after real life! Updates will be back to a more frequent schedule. Also, I don't like to flit around POVs so often in a chapter but this is kind of a big one and I wanted to show what they were both thinking often. _

**Chapter 5: Bad Boyfriend**

**EPOV**

Edward drove home from the bar on auto-pilot. Rather than focus on the street signs and sounds of his car he recalled how soft Bella's hair felt as he grasped her head, the taste of her tongue, and how incredibly hard he still was. Edward never would have anticipated that Bella would kiss him. He thought about her, and kissing her, constantly and their exchanges all week had made him ache for her, physically and emotionally. But regardless of how her unhappy demeanor seemed to instantly abate when she was in his presence he never thought she would actually initiate anything with him. But now that she had he knew that he would not be able to hold back.

Edward knew that this would most likely end badly for him. Starting a relationship with Bella while she was married was not a great beginning and he knew that along with the usual relationship issues they would have to deal with guilt, resentment, jealousy, and a third person who was innocent in this regardless of how Jake treated Bella. Edward resolved that before he let things go any further with Bella he would talk to her, really talk, about what was going on and what they were going to do. He didn't want to beg her to leave her husband but the tingling sensation that was still prevalent on Edward's lips and the warmth in his chest solidified his resolve that he would not lose this woman.

**BPOV**

Bella woke up the next morning feeling equal parts happy, sexually frustrated, and guilty. To increase her feelings of happiness she awoke to a text from Edward wishing her a good morning and a good day at school.

As Bella showered and blew her hair dry she ran over what she would say to Jake. She did not want to leave Jake _for _Edward. While she knew that she had very strong feelings for Edward she did not love him. But she knew she was falling for him and the fact that this was going on while she was married was wrong in so many ways. Bella knew it was awful that she was betraying Jake like this and knew he did not deserve it but what upset her even more was the fact that she was falling for Edward. She should not be feeling this way while married. Regardless of what happened with her and Edward her relationship with Jake was not going to work. She had been unhappy for a long time and unfortunately it took an act of infidelity to convince her that the mistake she made marrying Jake was one she was going to need to rectify immediately.

Bella didn't know how Jake was going to react. He had always treated Bella like a foregone conclusion. Even when other men had ogled her or tried to pick her up he just laughed. This had never bothered Bella before but the more she thought about it the more she realized that Jake had always taken her for granted. Everyone just assumed they would and should be together.

Suddenly Bella thought of her parents. What would they think if Bella left Jake? Charlie and Jake's dad were close friends and Renee had always said that he was a real catch for Bella. She knew her parents loved her but dreaded seeing the disappointment in their eyes if her marriage dissolved.

Bella realized she was still holding the hair dryer and blasting her now very dry hair as she came out of her thoughts. As she finished getting ready for her day she resolved to spend her free period writing down her thoughts to talk to Jake. She sent him an email from her phone asking him to call her as soon as she could. She said it was not an emergency but she really needed to talk to him. Bella was scared to have this conversation with Jake but she knew that she owed it to both of them to discuss the state of their marriage. They both deserved to be happy and Bella knew with every fiber of her being that Edward made her truly happy.

Alice was making coffee and cutting up fruit as Bella entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine," Alice greeted her cheerily.

"Morning," Bella replied with a smile but it was obvious to Alice that she was distracted. Alice had not commented at Bella's late arrival last night. Bella had arrived just in time for dinner and was unusually quiet while they ate. Alice was the more talkative and lively of the two but she and Bella always shared about their days over dinner and Bella listened supportively as Alice spoke of Jasper and how much she missed him. Last night Bella barely said two words and while she responded in the appropriate places to Alice's latest gripe about her husband's absence she didn't seem to be paying attention. Alice also noticed that at times she had a smile on her face and would blush as if remembering something naughty. When Alice asked her if she had done anything after school Bella quickly replied that she had some drinks with her fellow teachers after school.

Bella was not sure why she lied to Alice, she knew she could trust her with anything, but she just didn't feel like sharing her feelings toward Edward right now. And as much as she trusted Alice and cared for her she knew that she would be judged if she admitted she had kissed Edward and she just couldn't handle the look on Alice's face if she were to tell her.

Alice wanted to call her out on her explanation as Bella usually rebuffed the other teacher's invitations and complained that all they cared about was school gossip, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She wanted Bella to confide in her but did not want to push her either.

"So Jasper called me this morning and said that he's going to be coming home on Friday!" Alice exclaimed barely containing her excitement.

"What? That's great! Is it just for the weekend?" Bella asked. She was a little confused since Jasper was due to stay in the Carolinas for a while longer and he and Alice had agreed to save their money rather than constantly buying plane tickets.

"No! I guess the command is flying him home and not making him finish the training up there because they need him back at the base to train a team that is heading to the Middle East soon."

Alice was happy Jasper was coming back but couldn't help but feel a little sad that he was going to train team members who would be leaving their families for six months while they were deployed in Iraq. Alice sometimes forgot how lucky she was that Jasper was rarely deployed. Bella had hardly spent real time with Jake since they were married as he was often gone for work and when they were together there always seemed to be practical matters to take care of. _It was no wonder Bella felt unfulfilled,_ Alice mused.

"Huh, I wonder what team is going." Bella wondered. "Jake hasn't said anything and he usually knows that stuff before anyone. Well I guess I'll ask him as soon as he calls me, I emailed him this morning asking him to call as soon as he can."

As they finished breakfast, Alice and Bella chatted about making a trip to Victoria's Secret later in the day so Alice could pick up some items for Jasper's return. As Bella gathered her purse and made to head out the door to do some grocery shopping Alice called out to her, "Bella, I just want you to know that I love you no matter what. I know we haven't been friends very long but I think of you as a sister and I will always be there for you."

"I know, Alice. I love you too." Bella was perplexed by Alice's sudden declaration but just added it to the list of Alice's eccentricities and headed out. But as she pulled out of her driveway she couldn't remove the guilt that clung to her for not confiding in Alice; and the guilt for betraying Jake. Two doses of guilt and it wasn't even noon yet. She was not looking forward to an entire weekend of waiting for Jake to call and to start a discussion about their marriage. What else could happen?

**EPOV**

Edward resolved to put Bella out of his mind as he went through his day at the hospital but images of her brown eyes and pouty lips flitted into his mind as he went over a patient's history, the smell of her hair and feel of her skin infiltrated his thoughts as he consulted with a colleague, and he couldn't take it anymore when he felt himself getting hard as he reminisced about their kiss as he sat at the nurse's station filling out paperwork. Edward had never been this affected by a woman and he was scared at how infatuated he was with Bella and how quickly she took over his mind and body. He spent the weekend working out with his brother, played a round of golf with his dad, and sleeping. His residency at the hospital was going to take a lot out of him and he knew he should sleep while he could. But if he was being honest with himself he spent most of his weekend thinking about Bella. He knew he had to leave her alone over the weekend and let her breathe but it was difficult. He resolved that he would let her initiate contact on Monday and if she didn't then he would have to just accept that.

After Edward's shift was over at 6PM and he still had not managed to escape fantasies of Bella he gave up and texted her.

_**How was your day?**_

Ten minutes later Bella responded:

_**Long. How was yours?**_

Edward wondered if she had thought about him as much as he had thought about her. He wondered if she was just as anxious to see each other. Edward had a few wild days here and there but for the most part he was very cautious and responsible in his life. Yet here he was, only knowing Bella for a few weeks and he was already in so deep. Edward knew he would do anything for Bella and that included entering into a relationship with her while she was still married. Edward knew he should be the strong one that put the brakes on until she figured everything out but he just couldn't. He would take anything Bella offered and hold out hope for more. Edward didn't consider himself a romantic but he knew that these feelings didn't come around often and he was determined not to let this opportunity pass him by.

_**Equally long, I was hoping we could talk. Are you free tonight? I can cook at my place.**_

Edward felt a little lame for the invite but knew that Bella felt guilty about their relationship and needed a little prodding.

_**I agree, we need to talk. What time?**_

_**30 min**_

Edward knew he had just taken a major chance. He and Bella had hung out alone before but never at his house-in such an intimate setting-with a king size bed just a few feet away. He hoped he hadn't been too forward but he just couldn't stop himself.

_**Ok, sure. I'll see you soon.**_

Edward felt instantly relieved and started mentally running through what he needed to do when he got home to make sure the house was presentable and what he was going to cook. He wasn't going to force anything tonight and he wanted to make Bella felt comfortable but he was going to do his best to impress her as well.

**BPOV**

As Bella entered Edward's home that evening she was definitely impressed. She was already acquainted with the calming interior of his home from his barbeque but what she hadn't really paid attention to last time was the heavy oak dining table. However, it was hard to miss it now. The table was laid with two place settings, a grouping of lit candles in the middle, and a single lily placed on one of the chairs. Bella glanced from the table to the kitchen and saw a more beautiful setting; Edward in dark wash jeans, a white button down with the sleeves rolled up exposing his strong forearms, and bare feet cooking in the kitchen. Bella could smell marina and garlic bread and heard _The Avett Brothers_ softly through the sound system. Now she was really impressed, he was listening to one of her favorite groups! Bella liked an eclectic grouping of music and Jake listened to rap and only rap. She noted again how much she and Edward had in common and how glaringly different everything was from her previous experiences. She wished she didn't have to talk to him about her and Jake and their conversation over the weekend. She wished that this was a normal situation and she was at Edward's house for dinner without a serious conversation looming over them. She wished….

"Are you going to say hi or just stand there?" Edward teased.

Bella awoke from her musings and walked into the kitchen setting her key and phone on the table. "Sorry, I was just entranced with the smells coming from your kitchen," Bella teased. "And very impressed that you are playing _The Avett Brothers_! I love this group!"

"Yeah, I think they are some of the best songwriters of our generation. And as far as dinner I hope it meets your expectations, it should be ready in about 10 minutes. Do you want something to drink?"  
"Sure, I'll have a beer." Bella was not a big drinker but she needed something to calm her nerves and give her the confidence to approach the topic of Jake-the big pink elephant in the room that was currently swinging its trunk directly at her.

**EPOV**

Edward wanted to wrap his arms around Bella when she stepped into his kitchen. She looked casual and absolutely sexy in worn jeans, black converse, and a tight grey t-shirt. All the other women Edward had dated were always in full makeup, hair done, and outfits. Hell, Tanya spent more time working on her appearance then she did with him, especially at the end. But Bella was just beautiful without even trying. He loved how down to earth she was and when she told him she loved _The Avett Brothers_ he fell a little bit more for her.

Edward handed her a beer and asked about her weekend as he drained the pasta and took the sauce off the burner. He swore he saw a large pink elephant out of the corner of his eye but chose to ignore it and focus on Bella and her soft lilting voice as she talked about her weekend with Alice and a new book she was reading.

As they sat down at the table and Bella blushed as she lifted the lily from her seat Edward grinned and silently applauded himself for the idea rather than address the large pink elephant that was now standing next to him at the table.

Edward was able to ignore the large pachyderm as he and Bella enjoyed their meal and talked about their families. Edward noticed that Bella lit up when she talked about her dad, Charlie. She told Edward that she missed the Sunday afternoons they spent together watching baseball and she even missed her mom's attempts at cooking. Bella quietly spoke of her love for San Diego and how much she missed it and her friend Angela. Edward could picture the beaches she described and was impressed by how frequently she hiked and surfed while living in Southern California. Edward talked about growing up with Emmett and glossed over his time in Chicago. Tanya was a much smaller elephant but she was still there, sitting outside his house waiting to be let in.

After dinner Edward and Bella cleaned up in companionable silence and Edward mused how nice it was to just _be_ with Bella. She was quiet but not reticent, intelligent, and had a great sarcastic sense of humor. Edward decided that he needed to stop delaying the inevitable and at least start the conversation that they both needed to have. He wanted to be with Bella and not having this conversation would be a major roadblock in their move forward.

"So…" Edward started as Bella was loading the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. "You said we needed to talk and on Friday you said you were going to talk to ummm…you know…um Jake." Edward felt strange even saying his name but if he was going to do this he had to be straightforward and mature. Edward glanced at Bella out of the corner of his eye and saw her pause as she lifted to shut the dishwasher. He turned towards her and then leaned against the counter. Now that he was resolved to have this conversation he was determined to see it through.

"Look Bella, I care for you a lot. And I'm obviously very attracted to you but I think that while it may be nice to ignore the situation here that isn't fair to either of us, or Jake."

"I know. You're right." Bella said. "I just really wanted to forget about it for awhile. I did talk to Jake. I emailed him that night asking him to call me right away but he didn't call until last night."

Edward could not tear his eyes away from Bella but she was looking anywhere but at him.

"Why don't we go sit down on the couch," he said softly. Edward didn't know if it was a good idea to lead Bella to the same couch that he had fantasized about making out with her on but she seemed upset and distant and he wanted her to open up to him about what was going on.

Bella seemed resolved as she followed Edward to his plushy couch. Edward sat at the far end of the couch. He wanted to be physically close to Bella but realized that now that he was determined to get this conversation out there he did not want to be distracted by Bella's strawberry and floral scent, her soft skin, or the way her eyes seemed to melt right through him. Bella wrapped her arms around a pillow she placed on her midsection and began:

"I hope you don't have anywhere to be because I just need to get this all out and it could take a while." Bella started.

"I'm yours." Edward stated.

Bella seemed to ignore the different ways Edward's statement could be taken and took a deep breath.

"Jake and I have been together since High School. We got married right after graduation and Jake immediately joined the Coast Guard. I love Jake. I do, just not the way I should. But Jake and I are very different people and if I'm being honest, I married Jake because I felt like I had to not because I really wanted to. I never felt a spark with Jake, a true desire. He is a good man but well we just _are_. If that makes any sense. Everyone assumed we would get married just as they assumed we would be together so I did. I guess I did it to be safe, to not disappoint anyone including Jake and I didn't see any reason not to."

"What about being truly happy? Finding true love?" Edward interrupted. He cringed at his own question but he was honestly baffled why a gorgeous, intelligent woman like Bella would ever settle and it sounded like she did exactly that. Didn't women, especially teenage women, long for true love and soul mates? _Or maybe it's just pansy asses like you that think that_ thought Edward.

"I guess I was a closet romantic," Bella said. "But I just decided that was my immaturity and love for Victorian literature talking and I needed to grow up and realize that sometimes you need to be happy with the one you have rather than daydream about fictional love."

"Bella," Edward said softly. "You sound so cynical."

"Well to be honest I am a little cynical and pissed." Bella said looking up sharply. "I mean come on, I accepted my marriage, work on it, am the dutiful wife and then BAM, I meet this incredibly attractive man who I feel this crazy strong connection to-all those things I dreamed about when I was younger-and I'm married and can't do anything about it."

Edward was surprised at Bella's vehemence and her description of how she felt about him. He could tell that she was attracted to him, she kissed him for fucks sake, but he had no idea she felt that way about it. Bella's declaration gave Edward confidence and he scooted closer to her on the couch.

"Sorry," Bella said softly looking down again. "This is just all so confusing and well my conversation with Jake is fresh."

"Bella, it's okay. I'm sorry this is such a messy situation and I'm sorry that I am complicating your life in any way."

"Actually, I could use some complication," Bella said. "I've spent my whole life doing what was expected, not making waves, and pleasing others and well I'm pretty fucking tired of it."

Edward was caught off guard again by Bella's strong words and how sexy the word _fuck_ sounded coming out of her pretty mouth. He mentally calmed himself down and drew his attention back to Bella.

"Anyway, Jake called me last night and I tried to talk to him about how I was feeling, how unhappy I was with our marriage but he wouldn't let me even talk. We only had a few minutes on the phone and he said that he will be back in a month, which is earlier than planned, but after two weeks he is leaving for Iraq. He'll have to be deployed overseas for at least 6 months. I should have forced him to listen to me and tell him about you but I couldn't tell him about us, I just couldn't. I don't want to sound dramatic but well Jake has changed a lot since I met him and his temper rivals that of The Hulk sometimes." Bella gave a forced chuckle. "And he's going to be leaving for Iraq soon. I can't have this conversation over the phone or email. Maybe I'm being a coward but as unhappy as I am with Jake he deserves to have this conversation in person. I don't know what I'm saying here really but I know how I feel about you and regardless of what happens with us this _thing_ between us has convinced me that I should not be in this marriage, and neither should Jake."

Bella finished her thoughts and sat quietly, not looking at Edward. Edward was not sure what he should do. He hadn't known what to expect when Bella came over tonight. He had hoped that everything would align perfectly and he could pursue a relationship with her but well, life was not perfect. He didn't blame Bella for wanting to wait to talk to Jake until they were face to face but the horny teenager in him didn't want to wait for anything.

"Bella," Edward said. "I understand you wanting to wait for Jake to get back. Since you have been so honest with me I owe it to you to give total disclosure as well."

Bella was still not looking at Edward but he could feel her heat from where he sat and he longed to hold her and breathe in her scent.

"I am willing to take what you can give me, for right now and then hopefully in the future. I obviously want to be more than friends with you but I understand that is all you can give right now. I just feel so lucky to have met you and I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy but I don't want you to ever resent me or feel pressured. I'm here for you no matter what, and in whatever capacity you'll have me."

Edward finished his declaration and tried to appear calm on the outside while inside his head he was screaming _Leave him! Kiss me! Let me hold you! Fuck me! _Edward's emotions and thoughts were all over the place and they left him so distracted that he didn't notice Bella had moved even closer to him until suddenly her lips were millimeters away from his own. Edward felt like he was in junior high again, waiting for his first kiss. His stomach felt like he was on a rollercoaster and he couldn't hear anything other than their sounds of their breaths co-mingling.

**BPOV**

And then Bella kissed him. Again. And this time she left forth all the emotions she was feeling; lust, anger, guilt, regret, excitement, affection all rolled into one kiss. His lips felt like silk against hers and as their tongues touched together she grasped the back of his head with both hands and held on. She held onto her feelings of lust, excitement, and affection and left her anger, guilt, and regret tightly packed up upon the elephant's back. Edward returned her aggressiveness by tightly grasping her around her waist and bringing her to straddle him without breaking their kiss. She heard him moan into her mouth as she sat down upon his hardness and she let forth her own moan as she lightly rubbed herself upon his very hard and erect cock through his jeans.

Edward had broken their kiss only to trail his lips and tongue softly down her neck, back up to her earlobe, and down again to lightly nip at her collarbone. Bella was panting lightly with her eyes closed reveling in the feeling of Edward all over her body. However her euphoria was interrupted with her phone ringing with Adam Sandler's _Bad Boyfriend_ ringtone. Bella instantly froze. That ringtone was her own private joke and was programmed for only one person.

_Jake. _


	6. Chapter 6

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_A/N: I'm sorry I have been such an epic failure with updating. I just completely lost motivation and inspiration for this story and everything I wrote just sounded like shit! But I got a few messages asking me to continue, and my boyfriend read the story and said I had to keep going, so I'm giving it another shot. Hope you guys still read and review, I really appreciate it! Also, I got rid of the POV titles because a great reviewer suggested they were unnecessary so thanks for the suggestions I really appreciate it!_

**Chapter 6: Make a Plan**

_Previously: And then Bella kissed him. Again. And this time she left forth all the emotions she was feeling; lust, anger, guilt, regret, excitement, affection all rolled into one kiss. His lips felt like silk against hers and as their tongues touched together she grasped the back of his head with both hands and held on. She held onto her feelings of lust, excitement, and affection and left her anger, guilt, and regret tightly packed up upon the elephant's back. Edward returned her aggressiveness by tightly grasping her around her waist and bringing her to straddle him without breaking their kiss. She heard him moan into her mouth as she sat down upon his hardness and she let forth her own moan as she lightly rubbed herself upon his very hard and erect cock through his jeans. _

_Edward had broken their kiss only to trail his lips and tongue softly down her neck, back up to her earlobe, and down again to lightly nip at her collarbone. Bella was panting lightly with her eyes closed reveling in the feeling of Edward all over her body. However her euphoria was interrupted with her phone ringing with Adam Sandler's Bad Boyfriend ringtone. Bella instantly froze. That ringtone was her own private joke and was programmed for only one person._

_Jake._

The final tone of Bella's ringtone for Jake played through Edward's apartment as Bella slowed down her breathing. She felt horribly tacky. She had just been making out with Edward, panting and writhing like a hormonal teenager, and her deployed husband was calling her. Bella knew she had to call Jake back but she was so frustrated and angry that the moment was broken with Edward. She was hesitant to even look at him but she didn't want him to feel like some dirty mistress. Luckily, Edward seemed to sense her embarrassment and unease.

"So, ummm you probably need to take that call right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Bella, don't be sorry. I told you I knew what I was getting into and I meant it. Besides I don't want you to think I just want you for well…sex," Edward smirked as they both glanced down at the rather large bulge in his jeans.

Bella laughed and lightly swung off of Edward's lap and walked towards her purse. She didn't need to confirm that it was Jake calling but seeing the name on the missed call list brought her back to a reality she needed to face. She felt Edward come up behind her and wrap his arms around her shoulders.

"Go call him."

"I should probably go home. I have to get up early and run with Alice tomorrow and…."

"I know Bella, it's fine. If you want to talk or anything I'm here ok?"

Bella turned around keeping his arms firmly wrapped around her and softly pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No need to thank me. Come on, I'll walk you out."

Edward adjusted his pants and led Bella out to her car. He wished they could just spend the night together, talking, kissing, cuddling, kissing, listening to music, kissing, but he knew that he needed to tread lightly and he didn't want to push Bella to fast. After she was settled in the driver seat he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, softly and chastely. He felt her smile as he pulled away. He walked backwards towards his apartment to watch her pull away and realized he was definitely falling for Bella Swan. And he felt equally elated and scared shitless.

Bella debated if she should wait to call Jake when she got home or call him back as soon as possible. She didn't want to outright lie to him about where she was, which was ridiculous because she was committing the biggest betrayal to him already but she didn't want to add more if she could help it. On the other hand the longer she waited to call him back the worse it would be. And why was he calling from his cell phone? He couldn't call on it from the boat? All of a sudden Bella felt her stomach drop and wondered if he was home. But how could that be? He had another 4 weeks at least? Bella stopped herself from any more rumination and called Jake back.

One ring.

_Breathe_

Two Rings.

_Breathe_.

"Hey Bella, why didn't you answer when I called a few minutes ago?"

_Hello to you too, Jake._

"Hi Jake, sorry I didn't reach my phone in time. Hi. Um. How are you calling from your cell phone? Where are you?"

"Gee you sound excited to talk to me. I'm in North Carolina. We got pulled off the ship yesterday and flew into North Carolina from Puerto Rico. We had to pick up some of the newbies and we are driving down to Florida right now. I'm gonna be home tomorrow afternoon baby!"

Bella was glad she was almost home because she was driving on autopilot right now. How could Jake be home already? She thought she had 4 more weeks to prepare to talk to him. And to spend with Edward.

"Wow Jake. That's great but why did you get to leave early?"

"Well I guess because they are shipping us off to Iraq they wanted us to have more time with our families then just two weeks. Where are you anyway? It sounds like your driving. Why are you out at 10PM?"

"I went to Barnes and Noble. Trying to find something new to read."

Bella was surprised at how easily the lie came to her. She felt bad but what was she supposed to say? _Oh nowhere special, just at Edward's apartment for dinner and making out. You know the man I think is my soul mate even though I'm already married to you. No Biggie._

"Huh, well you know I don't like you out so late. And you have plenty of books already. How many more do you need anyway?"

Bella had learned to just not respond when Jake started acting like an overbearing parent so she swiftly changed topics to exactly when he would be home tomorrow and if he would need a ride home from the base since he had left his car in the garage while he was deployed.

"Leah said she'd give me a ride but it would be nice if you could pick me up."

"Okay well I'm just pulling in now and I'm gonna hang out with Alice a bit before I go to bed. Want me to call you tomorrow?"

"Yes, but text me before you go to bed just so I know you are home and safe."

Bella rolled her eyes and dreaded that now that Jake was back in the states his policing of her whereabouts would start up again.

"I'll call you in the morning on my way to school," she argued.

"Text me tonight. Oh and don't tell Alice but Jasper hitched a ride with the other convoy to surprise her instead of coming in this weekend."

Bella gave her habitual good night and love you as she pulled into the driveway and hung up. She knew she wouldn't have a hard time keeping Jasper's homecoming a surprise, hell she was keeping her _affair_ secret already. Bella cringed as she realized that what was going on was an affair. It just seemed so seedy and pathetic to her. What she felt and had with Edward was not seedy and pathetic and while she wasn't 100% sure how he really felt about her and what they were doing the way he softly kissed her goodnight and looked into her eyes as she spilled out her thoughts had her convinced that this was more than just an affair. This was something Bella couldn't control and that thought terrified and excited her.

Edward spent the next day avoiding running into his dad at the hospital and anxiously awaiting a text or call from Bella. Edward had always been close with his parents but he liked to keep his private life private and knew that Carlisle would be able to see the conflicting emotions that were constantly swirling around Edward and would not be able to stop from asking what was going on. Edward didn't even know what was really going on himself and was in no position to talk about his and Bella's….relationship without solidifying things with her first. Plus he had already lied to Emmett the night before and didn't want to lie to any more family members.

_Rosalie had been out with friends from work and Emmett was working late at the gym while Bella and Edward were having dinner but apparently Emmett had pulled into the complex just as Bella was leaving because as soon as Edward started to clean up he heard Emmett barrel into the apartment without even knocking. Typical. _

"_Hey man, was that Bella I just saw pulling out?"_

_Edward was glad he had cleaned up the candles and flower first because all that was out for Emmett to see was dirty dishes. _

"_Yeah um she stopped by to drop off some tools Dad and I had left at her place cause she couldn't get a hold of Mom and Dad and I was making dinner already so I just asked if she wanted to stay to eat. No biggie."_

_Emmet cocked his head at Edward, "Dude, didn't need the soliloquy, just wondered if that was her."_

_After Edward marveled at Emmett's vocabulary he cursed his nerves and continued to clean up figuring that ignoring Emmett was the best way to drop the subject. It seemed to work because Emmett plopped down on the couch and pulled up ESPN while yelling at Edward to turn off the "douchey" music._

Edward was just finishing up with his last patient as he felt his phone vibrate. He hurriedly pulled it out hoping it was a call from Bella but he froze as he saw the 312 area code. _Tanya_. Except it could be numerous other people he knew from Chicago. But he knew instinctively it was Tanya. Edward pushed ignore and continued to fill out charts but he knew that Tanya wouldn't go away. It wasn't her style. And he would need to tell Bella about her soon. Bella had been so honest with him and he knew that for this, whatever it was, to work he would need to give full disclosure as well. But didn't they have enough shit to deal with already? Edward resolved to give it a few more days and then tell Bella about the soap opera that was his relationship with Tanya. What were a few more days?

As Edward walked out to his car he got an email alert from a . That was weird. Why was Bella emailing him? And that wasn't the original email address she had given him. Edward pulled up the email as he turned on his car

_Edward,_

_Hi, I'm sorry to have to write you an email, and from my school account. It seems so impersonal. But I don't really have an option right now. I called Jake on my way home last night and turns out he got off his deployment early and is coming home tonight. I can't call or text you because he will check my phone as soon as he sees me. I just wanted to let you know that I might not be able to call you or see you today but I will as soon as I can. I'm sorry this is so ridiculous but now that Jake is back in town I AM going to talk to him. I don't want to continue like this. I'm not trying to put pressure on you I just know that I can't keep going on like this with Jake. Last night meant so much to me and I'm so sorry that my messy life interrupted us. Well maybe it was better I don't know. I'm rambling I know. I just feel so confused because I have never felt this way before and I feel like everything is so clearly laid out and perfect but hidden behind this film. Does that make sense? I just wanted you to know that I wasn't running, or ignoring you. Can you meet me at Plantation Park tomorrow at 5PM? I used to run at that time so Jake won't question it. I'm sorry, this seems so seedy but I want to see you. If you can't I understand but I'll wait there for you for as long as I can. Thank you Edward. I have to go but hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. _

_Yours,  
Bella._

Edward sat in his car for a long while after reading the email. He knew he would be late to meet Emmett and Rosalie but that seemed so far away and hazy. He had hoped he would have a few more weeks with Bella before the reality of their situation came barreling in but now it was here and he couldn't call or text her and had to meet her in the park like some clandestine lover. But he was her clandestine lover wasn't he? Edward decided he couldn't let this thing with Bella control every facet of his life, especially since he was so out of control already, and he resolved to not think anymore about Bella and their situation until tomorrow.

Emmett and Rosalie made it impossible to follow through with his plans. As soon as they had settled around the patio table for dinner Rosalie confronted him about Bella.

"Emmet said that Bella was here the other night, dropping off tools," Rosalie said skeptically.

"Yeah so?"

"Nothing just saying."

"You never _just_ say anything, Rosalie. You always have some motive. What is it this time?"

"Just wondering, Edward don't get your thong in a twist."

Edward glared at Emmett as Rosalie went inside to grab more beer.

"Dude, don't glare at me. Why does it matter I told Rosalie I saw Bella? And why do you get defensive about it?"

"Whatever, you know I just don't like Rosalie knowing my business."

The conversation never returned to Bella but Edward couldn't stop thinking about her now that her presence at his house had been mentioned. He wondered what she was doing. Was Jake home yet? What kind of reunion would they have? Edward couldn't help but outwardly cringe as images of Bella running into Jake's outstretched arms and his hands palming her delicious ass ran through his head. Maybe he couldn't handle this after all.

Edward's imagination regarding Bella and Jake's reunion could not have been farther off base.

Bella was currently sitting in Jake's car on the base waiting for him and Jasper to unload all their gear and come out to meet her. Jake had texted her to be at the base at 8:00PM and to wear something hot. Bella scoffed at that. Jake's idea of hot was slutty club wear and her collections of jeans and t-shirts didn't hit the mark. Alice hadn't insisted on coming with Bella since she wanted to give them privacy and Bella was glad because she didn't know if she could keep it from Alice that Jasper would be there much longer. Bella suggested to Jake that Jasper just ride home with them since they were all going to the same place and Jake was annoyed at first but then realized it was a good way to get in good with the training staff. Bella just didn't want to be alone with Jake. She was scared to tell him what she had been feeling and even though it was cowardly she wanted to postpone it for as long as possible. Bella hadn't been exaggerating to Edward when she told him Jake had a temper and he had become more possessive and unpredictable as time went on. Bella just didn't want to deal with it, at least for tonight.

Bella was jarred from her thoughts as the back door opened and Jasper slid in with his pack.

"Hey darling, thanks again for the ride and keeping it a surprise for Alice."

Bella realized she had missed Jasper's pleasant company and smiled at him easily.

"No problem, glad you are home. Alice is going to flip! Where's Jake?"

"Oh he'll be out in a minute, said he's going over the schedule with Leah."

"What do you mean the schedule? I thought he was off until he headed to Iraq except for some light training?"

"I don't know really, that's just what he told me. Sorry"

"No it's okay, thanks. Alice is going to kill me for not telling her."

Bella continued to chat with Jasper but inside she was seething. She hadn't seen Jake for months and even though she wasn't excited to see him for her own reasons he didn't even have the decency to hurry out to her? How could he expect her to feel wanted when he couldn't act like it after being gone for months? And Leah! She didn't even want to theorize on that one. Finally Jake lumbered into the car and reached across to give Bella a quick kiss.

"Hey babe, did you just come from the gym or something?"

Bella hadn't adhered to Jacob's club wear request but she thought she looked nice in tight black yoga pants and a slim cut tank top. She had worn her hear down and put light makeup on. She suspected that Edward appreciated her casual but sexy look she often went for and had not-so-subconsciously started dressing with him in mind. _You should be dressing for your husband_ she thought.

"No, I just wanted to be comfortable."

"Oh well let's get home. I'm dying to have a shower and watch some TV. Being stuck on that boat and then in a van for hours almost drove me crazy."

Jake spent the ride home sucking up to Jasper while Jasper humored him. Bella spent the drive thinking of Edward and wondering what he was doing then. She needed to come up with a plan to talk to Jake. Bella felt more comfortable when things were planned out and she was determined to see this through. She wanted to be with Edward. Bottom line. It didn't matter that she had only known him for a short time and was going to disappoint her family and most likely be forced to wear a scarlet letter on her clothes; she was past just falling for Edward. She was in love. But before she could tell him that she needed to resolve the situation with Jake. She had a plan, it would all work out.

_A/N Thanks for reading and sticking with me. Reviews and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!_


	7. Chapter 7: Safe Space

_A/N: Not mine. Thanks so much everyone for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Okay going to hide now._

**Chapter 7: Safe Space**

Edward was sitting on the bleachers at Plantation Park watching a group of kids play soccer. He had been waiting for 30 minutes already but knew he would wait as long as it took. He had the perfect vantage point to see anyone pulling into the park but he kept second guessing himself and scanned the park continuously for Bella. Edward was nervous but he wasn't quite sure if he was nervous that she wouldn't show or that she would. This was not how Edward wanted to get into a relationship. He had sworn off relationships in general after Tanya and now here he was falling in love with a married woman. But he couldn't stay away from her. He felt like he was subsisting on thoughts of Bella and he had never felt so out of control. Since his life was this soap opera what should he call it?

It felt like hours but only a few minutes later he saw Bella pull in. She had sunglasses on and he couldn't get a good read on her. He hopped off the bleachers and walked towards her car. He felt like was walking towards something…..definitive…..but he wasn't sure what was going to be defined.

_Bella felt weak. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. When she pulled in with Jake and Jasper, Alice came barreling out the front door and was in Jasper's arms within 5 seconds._

"_I felt you! I knew! I just felt you coming" Alice exclaimed between kissing Jasper's face, neck, and nose. Jake just laughed and started pulling out their bags but Bella turned away, embarrassed. That was the sort of homecoming she should have had with her husband. Instead all they had was mild pleasantries and distance. Always distance. Bella could picture Edward walking in the door after a long shift and catching her in his arms as she greeted him after a long day. Bella had no idea why this 50s sitcom image had entered her head but now she couldn't shake it. Whatever lustful feelings had attracted her to Edward they had developed into so much more and were taking over every part of her life. _

_Bella was jolted out of her daydreams with Alice screeching at her for not telling her Jasper was coming home to surprise her._

"_Then it wouldn't have been a surprise," Bella smirked._

"_Yes will still, a girl could use a little preparation time!"_

"_You're always beautiful," Jasper faux-whispered as he swept by dragging Alice to the door with him._

_Bella hung back watching her best friend and her husband effortlessly float back into their romantic pairing. It was so easy for them, whatever resentment, guilt, anger, loneliness arose as a result of Jasper being deployed they managed to put it aside when they were together. They overcame the negative rather than letting the negative overtake them. _

"_Come on, babe. I'm starving!"_

_Bella followed Jake into the house and hoped that despite her happiness for Jasper and Alice they kept it down to a dull roar tonight. She had to talk to Jake and interruptions from Alice's sex noises were not going to help._

"Hey" Bella said as she got closer to Edward. She could barely look at him. He was beautiful. His face was empty of pretense and he radiated happiness at seeing her. She felt awful.

"Hi," he replied softly. "How are you?"

"Eh, I've been better. Thank you for meeting me, I'm sorry this is so….seedy."

"Bella, this isn't seedy. We aren't like that. I mean yeah, this situation sucks. Definitely. But well it's part of your package and I want the whole you. The seedy parts and all."

"Edward, I want to be with you. I hate this situation. I tried to talk to Jake last night…it's just….I…"

Bella's breathing started coming in static gasps and Edward thought she was going to pass out.

"Bella, calm down. It's ok just lets sit down and you can talk. Ok?"

Edward led her over to the bench near the water and gently massaged her neck while she got her breathing under control. As her breaths came in normal intervals he hugged her to his chest and softly kissed the top of her head.

"Bella, just talk. Don't look at me, don't think, just tell me what happened."

"He got home and it was just so…nothing….I felt absolutely nothing. And I don't know why I'm surprised because why would I be here with you if I felt something, anything. I'm not like that, I swear. And I feel like it is so unfair but at the same time its all my fault. I tried to rectify it last night, I really did. I tried to talk to Jake but every time I opened my mouth he cut me off with some inconsequential remark and then he was grilling me about what I had been doing while he was gone and checking my phone and I guess he was satisfied. I don't know. I tried to tell him I really did. I just can't. Not yet. He just got back and then he is going off to Iraq in two weeks and I just don't know how to say it or what to say really. Jake and I shouldn't be together but he deserves an explanation and I just don't know how to phrase it yet"

Edward was quiet while Bella purged her thoughts. He was trying to be understanding. He couldn't imagine being in her position and the pressure was a lot for him to handle, let alone Bella. All he could do was be patient and supportive.

"I know, Bella. I understand. I can't say that it doesn't eat me up inside that you are with him but I told you I knew what I was getting into and I stand by that. I stand by you. You tell Jake when you are ready and I won't pressure you."

Bella looked up at Edward and crashed her lips to his. Her kiss was fierce and almost painful. Their lips and teeth and tongues were mashed together and she could hear her breaths mingling with Edward's and their breaths together formed a sort of tunnel effect. All she could hear was their breaths. All she could feel was the skin of Edward's lips, slightly chapped from the wind, but soft and wet and perfect. Bella had never felt like this before, it was as if every kiss, touch, glance with Edward was the first and last one all rolled into one action.

Edward broke their kiss first and her disappointment at the lack of touch was abated when he pulled her up behind him and made his way over to his car.

"Edward?"

"What time do you need to be home?"

"An hour, maybe an hour and a half and then Jake will be back from the bar."

"I'd like more but it will do."

Bella didn't question what Edward was talking about and silently climbed in the car as he opened the door for her.

Bella realized they were driving towards Edward's house but wasn't focusing on her surroundings. She kept replaying the night before in her head.

_Bella was sitting on the bed, clasping and unclasping her hands together as she waited for Jake to get out of the shower. She had made him three sandwiches and listened quietly while he complained about his time on the boat, the money he lost at the casino in Guatemala, and made fun of his teammates. She cringed when he mentioned what a great Team Leader Leah had been but said nothing. She never said anything. Jake had told her he was going to shower and demanded that she be in bed when he got out. Bella knew Jake would be expecting sex and the thought turned her already weak stomach. She knew it was fucked up but any touch from Jake just made her feel like she was cheating on Edward. She had never really minded having sex with Jake before, and occasionally he stopped his insistent need to orgasm first by pleasuring her, but she knew that anything with Jake would never match with just the slightest touch from Edward. _

_Bella felt angry. She was angry at Jake. She was angry at Edward. She was angry at herself. Why did this happen now? But if she had not married Jake she might not have ever met Edward. Why did she have to go so long feeling empty, misunderstood, and just blank only to have someone bring her to life when she was already married? She gave up on the feelings that Edward brought out in her a long time ago and yet here they were, amplified and it was the worst possible time to have them. Bella never thought of herself as weak but she knew that she let Jake push her around and she was letting her fear of his reaction hinder her resolve to tell him how she felt and end this marriage. _

_Bella was still fuming as Jake emerged from the bathroom. It wasn't until Jake had crawled onto the bed next to Bella and started pushing her down onto her back while planting sloppy kisses on her neck did she realize the lettering on his chest._

"_What the hell is that?"_

_Jake didn't break in his ministrations and said sarcastically, "What does it look like, Bella? It's a tattoo."_

_Jake had started getting tattoos as soon as he joined the Coast Guard and while Bella thought tattoos could be sexy she was always unimpressed with Jake's. They were so pedestrian; a tribal tattoo on his shoulder and arm, a pirate ship on his ribs, and pin-up girl on his back. Jake and his buddies always thought of themselves as modern day pirates and their unoriginality, and immaturity, extended to their ink as well._

"_I can see that. Why did you get another one? And what the hell does it say?"_

"_Ummm I don't need your permission for anything, Bella. You would do well to remember that. It says 'Walk Soft and Hit Hard'. All us guys got it when we were in Panama."_

_Jake resumed his clumsy foreplay and began to shove Bella's pants down her legs. Bella pushed against Jake and rolled out from under him._

"_Jake Stop! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't get any more tattoos without at least telling me! I mean what will my parents think?"_

"_Aww Bells stop it. Your parents love me and I was going to tell you I just forgot."_

"_Jake, you don't let me do anything without clearing it with you and here you are marking your body permanently without even telling your wife!"_

"_Bella, I just got home. I don't need to deal with this nagging. Just shut up."_

_Before Bella could respond Jake was on top of her again, both of her hands clasped together above her head as he covered her body with his large frame. Bella's declarations of "no" were smothered by Jake's hot mouth on hers. Bella was furious. How could she be in this position? Jake wasn't even bothering to pretend to listen to her anymore and he had amped up his sexual aggressiveness. Bella felt her control slipping and when Jake brought one of her hands down and began to rub it on his erection she let go of all pretenses._

"_Jake, Stop It! I am not doing this, you don't even care!"_

_Bella forcefully nudged Jake in the stomach with her knee and rolled out from underneath him and off the bed. She looked toward Jake and instantly backed up against the wall of their bedroom. She had never seen Jake look so furious before. His face was red and his chest was rising and falling at an alarmingly rapid rate._

"_Mother fuck" Jake whispered. "You are so fucking lucky that Jasper and Alice are here because I will not put up with this from my wife. I just got home from defending our country and you won't even take care of me? I do not deserve to deal with this nagging and bitching. I leave you for a few months and you are already turning into one of those Miami diva bitches. This is not okay Bella. Now if you aren't going to act like a real wife then go sleep somewhere else. I'm exhausted and can't deal with your bullshit right now."_

_Bella was stunned. Jake had always been hotheaded and a bit ignorant but he had never acted so misogynistic and aggressive before. Before she could even process what to say Jake had rolled over and flicked off the bedside lamp. Bella slammed the door on her way out the bedroom and didn't care if Alice and Jasper heard. She ran to her car and sat in the driver's seat her keys poised for the ignition but then realized she had nowhere to go. Alice was in the house and she had no other friends in Florida. She desperately wanted to run to Edward but knew that if Jake woke up and found her gone he would go crazy. She didn't want to bring that trouble to Edward; he was involved in enough drama already. Jake was just tired and cranky. She would talk to him tomorrow after she met Edward. When Jasper and Alice were home just to be safe. _

_Bella slowly walked back inside and set up a makeshift bed on the couch. She set her phone alarm to make sure she was up before Alice and Jasper and prayed to a God she didn't really believe in to give her courage to end this and be happy. She hoped God listened to the prayers of cheaters._

"Bella, Bella, are you ok?"

Edwards voice and his hands on her shoulders startled Bella.

"What? Yeah I'm fine. Sorry I was just thinking."

Edward didn't know how to get Bella out of her head and he could feel that she was holding back from him but didn't want to push her.

"Come on, I want to do something."

Edward led her up to his apartment, through the living room, and to his bedroom.

"Sit," he pointed toward the bed.

"Edward, I don't know if I'm ready for this yet," Bella replied. She wanted to have sex with Edward more then anything but she knew that it would only complicate things even more and she hated feeling this out of control.

"Bella, just trust me ok?"

And because she did trust him she slipped off her shoes and crawled onto the bed. She rolled onto her back and watched from her peripheral as Edward bent down to untie his own shoes. She quickly stared straight up as she felt the bed dip next to her. Suddenly his strong arms twisted her until she was lying on her side and was melded to his body. Edward breathed in her scent and just held her for a few minutes. Her breathing was soft and regular and he moved his thumb until it was resting over her pulse point on her wrist. Steady.

Bella felt calm and ethereal. She could smell what she was coming to realize was Edward's distinct scent; cinnamon, lotion, and boy. His strong chest was supporting her back and she could feel the sinewy muscles in his forearm and biceps. All her thoughts of Jake and fear and her parents and adultery were locked up in the recesses of her mind. All she thought and felt and smelled and saw was Edward.

"Do you feel this?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"This is our safe space. Regardless of the bullshit surrounding us this will always be our safe space. We can always come back here. You are safe here."

Bella was floored at how easily Edward understood her. She had never shared how unstable and unsafe she really felt around Jake but he just read her. Before she could start ruminating on how unfair it was that they had to be thrown together this way Bella turned inside Edward's embrace and tilted her head up to kiss his chin.

Edward sighed and pulled her up until they were level.

"Safe space. Right here."

Edward softly kissed her and Bella responded with an equally soft kiss. They continued like that for some time. Soft kisses led to soft touches which turned into panting and groping until eventually Bella had wrapped her legs around Edward and was grinding her center furiously on his hardness. She wanted more. Bella sat up and pulled Edward's shirt off and followed with her own shirt and bra. Her confidence momentarily waned as she realized she was half naked in front of Edward, the most beautiful man she had ever seen, but he was looking upon her with such lust and adoration that she swallowed her insecurity and bent down to reclaim his mouth. Edward was letting Bella take the lead in everything and in the back of his head he thought he should slow things down but he was tired of being the good guy, of waiting. He wanted Bella and who knows what would happen. He would do everything he could to have her but he didn't want to miss out on any opportunity to be with her. He wanted this. Needed this. And as long as she felt the same way he was not going to resist. He lifted his hips as he felt her soft hands pull at his shorts and then slid his hands down the side of her body, grazing her breasts, as she shimmied out of her own pants. Now the only barrier between them was Bella's thin underwear.

Edward let his hands roam over her back, the curve of her ass, and back up to rest in her hair as she rubbed against him. Edward was nervous. He had been with his fair share of women but Bella was so different. So special. This felt like a culmination of every emotion he had ever had. He felt like he would burst from the buildup and the energy between them. The only way he could stop freaking out was to take control. Edward flipped Bella onto her back and began claiming her body. He kissed her everywhere, her ears, her neck, her eyelids, her breasts and nipples, her stomach, her thighs, her calves, her instep and then back to her hot and wet center. So wet. Bella was whimpering and slowly moving on the bed his name falling from her lips quietly but insistently. He breathed her in and slid his finger into her as his tongue traced circles on her clit. The volume of her whimpers immediately increased and he felt her thighs tense.

"Relax, Bella. You're safe."

Edward lavished her with attention and Bella slowly felt she give into the sensations and lost herself in Edward. She had never known it could be like this. He was the perfect mixture of gentle and forceful, bringing her right to the brink of orgasm and then backing off, every nerve ending felt like it was on fire and her hearing felt tunneled until the only thing she heard was her own pants and Edward's voice telling her how beautiful she was, how sexy she was, and how he couldn't wait to be inside of her.

Bella hadn't had much experience sexually. Her first time was with Jake and it was neither pleasant nor wanted. Jake had forced himself on her one night in the backseat after a date to the movies. She had been too confused and wound up to say anything. They had agreed to wait until she was ready but one minute their make out session led to him clumsily fingering her and then next thing she knew he had torn through her and ignored her cries. Bella had just lain there while Jake pounded into her. He was her boyfriend and this was what she was supposed to do. Jake always said she was teasing him and everything had just happened so quickly. Afterwards he had tenderly rubbed her back and told her how great it was and he promised that the first time always hurt for girls and that it would get better.

And it did, somewhat. Bella became more familiar with her body and learned that some things could be pleasurable but she had never felt this build up. This gathering of touches and kisses and pressure before. She felt like she was drowning in Edward and he kept pulling her out only to pull her back under with newfound pleasure. All of a sudden her body felt as if it was curling into itself and she felt incredibly hot and cold at the same time. Edward lightly sucked on her clit and she immediately felt her orgasm take over her entire body. She shook and cried and grasped at nothing while Edward brought her back down. Bella had orgasmed before but she was not prepared for the symphony of sensations that Edward's attention would bring her. Before she could catch her breath Edward was on top of her again, lightly kissing along her collarbone and neck whispering how sweet she tasted and how sexy she looked when she came.

Bella reached down to feel Edward hard and throbbing and wanted more. More. More.

"Condom," she panted out.

Edward never broke from his current position of tickling her earlobe with his tongue and he reached over and produced a foil packet from the bedside table. Bella broke from running her hand up and down Edward's impressive length so he could slide on the condom. Bella felt him poised to enter her and looked up at Edward.

"Please. I need you."

Edward slowly slid into her and paused as she adjusted to his size. He took time to collect himself and methodically began moving in and out, gauging Bella's reactions and softly kissing her, slipping his tongue into her mouth to mimic his actions. Bella grasped Edward tightly and marveled at the way his muscles moved under her hands as he moved. She felt full and electric and high.

All too soon she felt the tight coiling in her belly and the heat and cold creep up from her toes.

"Edward, I'm so close…Oh God…more…faster….more….please"

Bella's panted begging was pushing Edward over the edge and he lifted one of her legs to wrap around his waist and increased his speed. The new angle gave Bella the friction she needed and as the pressure took over her she bit down on Edward's shoulder to muffle her scream. The pressure of her teeth and the wet from her mouth kicked Edward's own orgasm into place and he grasped Bella tightly in his arms as he shuddered through his release.

They lay together, joined, for several minutes. Bella caught her breath and felt her body relax and sink farther into the bed as Edward lightly kissed her chest.

"That was amazing," Bella breathed.

"I wish there was a better way to describe it. But yes, you were amazing."

Edward slipped out of Bella and after disposing of the condom crawled back onto the bed and tucked her up against him.

"Safe space," Edward said.

"Yes, safe." As Bella lay in Edward's arms she decided that she needed to tell him everything that happened with Jake. He deserved to know exactly what she, they, were dealing with because after what had just happened between them Bella knew that she could not lose Edward. She didn't know how she had fallen for this man so quickly or how he seemed to know her body and mind better then she knew it herself but she knew enough to realize that this was not something she could let go.

Before Bella could finish collecting her thoughts their cocoon of peace was interrupted by a loud banging on the door and Edward quietly cursing.


End file.
